Real Bout High School: Between Love and Lust
by XenoMark
Summary: Ryoko and Shizuma can't remember what happened at Daisaku's party last week. But after Ryoko discovers some abnormal changes, the memories resurface.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Samurai Girl Real Bout High School or any of it's characters, I'm just borrowing them for my own amusement so none of you guys with the suits better sue me, okay?

  
  


Author's Note: This is my first attempt at a Samurai Girl Real Bout High School fic, this series has quickly become one of my favorite anime and manga. I should let you readers know before hand, this is mostly a romance and angst fic (Shizuma and Ryoko), so there probably won't be much (if any) action. Also, it takes place in the anime universe. With that said, let's begin.

  
  


Prologue

  
  


"Ryoko, it's time for school," Madoka rapped her knuckles on the bathroom door for what seemed like the millionth time that day. "Come on Ryoko, you're going to be late!"

For as long as Madoka can remember that morning, Ryoko had been vomiting since breakfast. Normally Ryoko would be pushed out of the house after breakfast, only to be pulled back in by her aunt because she forgot to bring her school bag, but today, the routine had changed. Actually, it had been like this for the entire week so far. This new routine worried Madoka, watching her niece losing the very meal she just ate in the next minute was not a pretty sight. The problem couldn't have been food poisoning; Ryoko had eaten different kinds of food for her breakfast ever since she had gotten sick. Was she sick? Madoka didn't know, her niece would run out the door or head to her room before she could interrogate her.

It must've been five minutes later when Ryoko finally left the bathroom; she looked like hell. Her stomach was still queasy, though not so much that she could throw up again. She was pretty exhausted, all that throwing up had taken a lot out of her, in more ways than one. Her chest seemed to be going numb, she hadn't told anyone about the pain because it would be pretty embarrassing to tell them that her nipples seemed to have been tingling nearly every second.

"Are you all right, Ryoko?" Madoka asked, concerned.

"I'm fine, Aunt Madoka," Ryoko threw on her usual smile, "it's nothing really."

"How can you say it's nothing? You've been like this for a week now," Madoka pointed out, "is there something you're not telling me?"

"Of course not," Ryoko answered, brushing her aunt's question away as she headed out the door.

"Ryoko, come back here!" Madoka ordered her niece before her foot could even touch the sidewalk. "You forgot your bag," Madoka pointed out, handing the leather material to her niece.

"Oh, right," Ryoko laughed nervously as the bag was handed to her.

"Have a good day," Madoka called as Ryoko made her way to school.

"Have a good day," Ryoko grumbled to herself as she continued toward Daimon High School, "I haven't had a good one ever since this whole mess started…"

  
  


Author's note: Hold on, save your reviews until the end of the next chapter all right. Well, let's just continue, shall we?


	2. What's Wrong With Me?

Author's Note: I don't know what to say, let's just get to the story.

  
  


Chapter 1: What's Wrong with Me?

  
  


History just seemed longer than usual for Ryoko. She was even more exhausted when she arrived in class that morning, twenty minutes later than usual. Ryoko had been the center of attention the entire week for coming in late, and in such a terrible condition too. Everyday she would practically drag herself to her seat. Even the toughest K-Fights she'd been in seemed like a walk in the park compared to what she was going through right now. It was rather difficult for Ryoko to pay attention to the lecture as well, her queasy stomach was starting to act up again and she was more focused on losing her lunch again than on her class work. Finally, after what had seemed like an eternity, the bell rang. 

As usual, the entire class would run out of the classroom, toppling every desk and pushing every chair as if they were running for their lives if the school was on fire. The room was empty within the next second, well almost empty. Ryoko was barely halfway out of the room; even the teacher had already left to go on his break.

"Ryoko, there you are," Hitomi looked into the room to find her friend leaning against her wooden sword, using it as if it were a third leg.

"Oh, hi Hitomi," Ryoko forced herself to stand, using whatever energy she had left.

"Ryoko, are you okay? You've been like this the entire week," Hitomi pointed out.

"You're not the first person to tell me that," Ryoko remembered her aunt's concern earlier that day.

"Yeah, I've been noticing that you almost passed out on your way to school this morning too," Daisaku suddenly appeared in the corner of the room, his trademark camera in hand.

"This is really pissing me off, you know!" Ryoko snarled as she swung her wooden sword to the floor. "Ugh!" Ryoko suddenly found herself using the very same object to support from the floor again.

"Come on, Ryoko, maybe some lunch will give you your energy back," Hitomi suggested as she help her friend back to her feet.

"Nah, I'm pretty sure some swing practice at the kendo club will do the trick," Ryoko proposed.

Swing practice didn't seem to do the trick for Ryoko, if anything it took even more out of her. Just the putting on the trademark armor was a chore itself, the matches themselves were even more grueling. Not once was she able to strike any of her opponents, no matter how inexperienced they were. 

"Hey Ryoko, is something the matter?" Tatsuya asked after her last defeat.

"What do you mean, senpai?" Ryoko turned to the club's captain.

"You haven't been able to beat one student today," Tatsuya pointed out, "normally you would hit the others around so much that you would chase them out of the dojo."

"Well I guess I'm just not in the zone today, that's all," Ryoko mustered up her best smile. "Maybe a match with you should bring me right back."

"You know what, I think you're right," Tatsuya took hold of his bamboo sword. "Shall we?"

The two took their usual places on the mat, Ryoko on the east side of the room and Tatsuya on the west. Both held their bamboo swords high, their legs pushing against the padded floor in the next second. Ryoko struck first, her blade clashing against Tatsuya's for a mere second. Within the next moment, the two were on opposite sides of the room. The adrenaline had suddenly returned to Ryoko's system, she felt as if she could take on the whole world. Ryoko took the initiative once more, charging at full speed, her bamboo blade slicing the wind as it swung from the east.

"This is it," Ryoko thought to herself, knowing that her senpai would be unable to block this strike, "I've got him, there's no way..." the energy in her system was suddenly beginning to drain.

Before anyone knew what happened, the mighty Ryoko Mitsurugi was now on the floor, unconscious. When she awakened, the white tiles of the infirmary greeted her, along with the concerned faces of Hitomi and Daisaku.

"Oh good, you're awake," Daisaku breathed a sigh of relief after his idol's eyes sprang open.

"Are you all right?" Hitomi asked.

"What happened?" Ryoko asked as she placed her palm over her forehead. "The last thing I remember I was in the kendo training hall and then..."

"Tatsuya-senpai brought you here," Hitomi informed Ryoko, "he said that you passed out suddenly during your kendo match. Ryoko, are you feeling all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ryoko answered, trying to shake the groggy feeling in her head, "it's no biggee, really."

"I don't know about that, Miss Ryoko, I don't think it's normal for someone, especially one as fit as you, to just suddenly pass out for no reason," Daisaku pointed out. "I mean, look at Shizuma Kusanagi, I've never seen him black out suddenly during his street fights."

"Don't bring up that Red Monkey, okay?!" Ryoko suddenly exploded.

"…I'm sorry," Daisaku apologized, "I shouldn't have brought him up."

Ryoko didn't like Shizuma, at least that's the impression she gave everyone. He was always rude and full of himself. Ryoko couldn't be with Shizuma for more than five minutes before a fight between the two would erupt. It's true she got angry whenever they talked about him, but not like this, she would never explode at the mention of his name.

"No, I'm the one who should apologize, Daisaku," Ryoko felt bad for her friend, "I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."

At that very moment, the subject of Shizuma Kusanagi returned. Just after Ryoko had apologized, a crowd was gathered outside the main building of Daimon High School, all of them awed by the tune as if they were hearing it for the first time. The screams of Shizuma's keyboard were enjoyed by all within the vicinity, well, almost all. There was always one person who never liked the antics of the navy-haired street fighter, and that person was Ryoko.

Ryoko took little time to jump out of the infirmary's bed and quickly rushed outside in front of the crowd to catch a glimpse of the navy-blue-haired street fighter. Without wasting a moment, Hitomi and Daisaku immediately followed.

"There goes that stupid Red Monkey again," Ryoko shot her usual glare at her arch-rival.

"You know, I've been noticing that you've been more annoyed by Shizuma than you ever were this entire week," Hitomi pointed out to Ryoko, only to find her approaching the building.

"Huh?" the blaring tunes suddenly came to halt. "What do you want, Sasquatch?" Shizuma asked with his trademark name for his arch-rival.

"Ryoko?" Hitomi began to approach her friend as she stood there unmoving.

Ryoko's eyes continued to peer into Shizuma, they weren't narrowed or anything as they usually were when the two were arguing. She wasn't smiling either; her face was wearing a serious expression. Shizuma's glare melted away within seconds, replaced with a look of curiosity. The two continued to stare at each other for what seemed like an eternity, until Ryoko turned her back toward Shizuma, making her way back into the crowd.

"Hey, wait, Ryoko," Hitomi and Daisaku chased after their friend.

"Can you guys leave me alone for a bit?" Ryoko suddenly asked her two loyal followers, "There's something I have to do."

"Sure, no problem," Daisaku told Ryoko as he and Hitomi began to back away.

"And I don't want you hiding in those bushes either, Daisaku!" Ryoko ordered, shooting a glare at Daisaku.

"Yes, ma'am!" Daisaku quickly nodded and ran.

"I'll be seeing you later, Hitomi," Ryoko waved goodbye to her friend.

Ryoko was alone now, just as she wanted. True she felt bad from the sudden request, but there was something she needed to do. Walking to the observation point of the school, Ryoko couldn't help but notice two fellow students sitting together. The two of them were eating together, talking about something Ryoko couldn't comprehend, all she knew was they were having a good time, enjoying each other's company. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of the two as the couple joked with each other. But that smile quickly turned into a frown when the young man placed his hand on the girl's. The sight created some kind of substance inside her eyes, barely locked away by her emotions. 

Without looking back, she returned to her trip. Ryoko had reached the observation point in no time; she always went here when she wanted to be alone. But she wouldn't be alone for long, she wanted someone to come here, to meet with her.

"Ryoko?" the person whom she was waiting for called. "Hey, what's wrong?" Shizuma asked as Ryoko peered into the school below them.

"Shizuma, do you... remember what happened at Daisaku's party a week ago?" Ryoko asked after a few moments of silence.

"…Yeah, I remember," Shizuma slowly nodded, "but I thought you said…"

"There's no way we can keep it a secret any longer, Shizuma," Ryoko told him, her eyes still turned to the school.

"Why's that?" Shizuma asked, concerned.

"It's because…" the liquid within her eyes began to escape, "it's because…"

"Because what?" Shizuma turned to Ryoko.

"Because I... think I'm pregnant..."

  
  


Author's Note: A cliffhanger already. Well, what do you readers think, leave me a review, but I don't take flames, all right. Anyway, if you guys also read Rurouni Kenshin, I've posted two fan fics of that series in the Rurouni Kenshin section of ff.net, be sure and check them out. My fics are 'The Twin Dragon Arc' (it was written two to three years ago so it's not very good in my opinion) and 'Crimson String' (I'm still not done writing it, but I try and update it every Sunday). Well, I'll try and update this fic soon, okay, later.


	3. A Blessing or a Curse

Author's Note: Well, what can I say? I guess I can tell you readers there's a bit of lime in this chapter, I hope you enjoy it. So let's get to the story now.

  
  


Chapter 2: A Blessing or a Curse

  
  


Shizuma stood shocked over Ryoko's words. The words "I think… I'm pregnant" had left him paralyzed, speechless. There were many titles Shizuma has held in his lifetime, K-fight champion, a no-name user of Kamui, street thug, and now he was to hold a new one, one that he was afraid of carrying. This new title was the father of Ryoko's child.

"You're kidding, right?" Shizuma broke the silence a moment later. "I mean, what makes you think…"

"Do you think I'd joke about something as serious as this?!" Ryoko spat as she slammed her palms against the railing. "Do you think I'd joke around with you after what happened that night?!"

"No, it's just that… how should I say this, how do you know if you really are pregnant?" Shizuma asked. "It's not that I want to sound rude or anything, but you could just be sick and…"

"I'm not sick, Shizuma," Ryoko assured him. "I thought so at first because I was throwing up a lot in the morning, but then other things started happening. Like today, just a while ago I blacked out in kendo practice," Ryoko recalled.

"You know, that doesn't really justify pregnancy," Shizuma said, trying his best not to sound insulting, "all that vomiting could've just sucked up all your energy."

"There's still more," Ryoko continued. "It's embarrassing to say, but my nipples have been tingling a lot lately, and my chest seems to be heavier than usual. Not only that, I would normally have my period two days from today and it never came."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Shizuma quickly held up his hands. "That's a bit too much info there!"

"Do you believe me now, Shizuma?" Ryoko asked, turning to the navy-haired street fighter.

"Yeah, I believe you," Shizuma nodded, "but there's just one thing I have to ask you. How do you know if I'm the father of that kid you're carrying and not some other dude you slept with?"

"Are you doubting the responsibility of our child?!" Ryoko spat as her fingers balled around Shizuma's collar.

"It's not that I'm doubting you," Shizuma said as he held his hands up in defeat, "it's just that if had been with anyone else..."

"I haven't been with anyone else!" Ryoko yelled as her grip on Shizuma's shirt tightened. "You were... the first, and only, person I've ever been with," Ryoko said as her fingers slowly began releasing their hold.

"Really? Ryoko, I had no idea. You know, I can say the same about you. It's funny that neither of us can remember our first time huh?" Shizuma tried to put on his best laugh only to stop a second later after seeing the frown on Ryoko's face.

  
  


It was a week ago when it all happened; Daisaku was having a huge party, Ryoko and Shizuma were among the many who were invited. Ryoko had no intention of going to the party at first, but somehow Hitomi was able to drag Ryoko along. The party didn't seem to interest Ryoko, in fact, she tried to leave several times but Hitomi's pleads always dragged back in to the very same corner. Alcohol was pretty abundant at the party, aside from all the blaring music, the cheers and screams of drunken teenagers had blasted through the entire party. No one seemed to know who smuggled in the beer, but no one seemed to have minded, whoever brought in the keg would have been considered a godsend if they knew who brought it. Ryoko often found herself traveling to the steel barrel, filling her cup with hit's gold yellow content every time it had emptied into her throat. Even she doesn't know how much she traveled to the keg that night, the last thing she can remember clearly was her third trip to refill her drink. Everything seemed to have been a blur after that, with the exception of a few events that she was able to recall a few days later. She remembers she was talking to Shizuma a few minutes after she found out the keg was empty, he was just as (if not more) buzzed than she was. Neither remember what the other was talking about, but that conversation made the two leave the party together.

The two had been stumbling down the street for hours before they finally stopped at Ryoko's place. If Madoka was home that evening, she would've kicked Shizuma out of her house and scold Ryoko for her underage drinking, but Madoka wasn't home, she had the late shift at the hospital that evening. As soon as the two had entered the house, the two suddenly found each other in Ryoko's room. The two seemed to have been chatting away about something, neither of the two seemed to have remembered what they were talking about. What happened during the middle of the conversation was a surprise Ryoko. Just as Ryoko was flapping her mouth during their conversation, it was quickly sealed shut by Shizuma's. Ryoko lay frozen as Shizuma began plucking her lips, suckling the remaining contents of the alcohol from her mouth. There was a sweet aroma locked within his lips, Ryoko could taste it as their tongues wrestled one another. Her hand slipped down the side of Shizuma's face, her thumb resting behind his ear as her fingers found the comfort of his cheek. Ryoko was drowning in the taste of this new found sweet, lowering her entire body to her mattress, dragging Shizuma with her by the lips. Her mouth was as smooth as honey, but what of the rest of her body? Shizuma had to know, trying his hardest to free his lips from her's, his tongue sliding down her chin and then her neck.

"Shizuma...," his name barely escaped her lips between her breaths.

Her breathing was music to his ears, the rising and falling of her body was like silk to his skin, he just had to have more. His fingers slowly traced the path his tongue had laid, slipping from it as they reached her neck, traveling beyond, finding their place before the ribbon on her shirt. His thumb and index finger pressed against it's soft texture, slowly tugging it in one direction, freeing it from her dull yellow garb. He just had to free the rest of her cotton restraints, his hand slowly traced the area of her abdomen, stopping at the base of her shirt before he began pulling it above her head. His mouth had began a new path beyond her neck, traveling downward, stopping before the two spheres a few inches below her neck, his mouth pulling at one of the nubs. Ryoko's arms began to cradle Shizuma's head, her fingers pulling the red fabric resting on his shoulders until it was finally free from his body, now strewn across the floor. This still wasn't enough, Shizuma still wanted more. His hands began tracing further this time, stopping before red fabric, his fingers pinching the outside of the him as his thumb pushed against them from another cotton layer. The garments slowly traced down Ryoko's legs, joining the rest of the uniform on the floor. Ryoko's arms had begun sliding toward Shizuma's hips soon after, her fingers taking hold of the rough material he wore on the lower half of his body. One hand ventured before his abdomen, stopping directly below it, her fingers tracing down the zipper on his pants, prying it downward as her thumb freed it's button.

The next thing Ryoko could remember, she was lying in bed, the sun's light had begun to break through the darkness in her eyes. Her head felt was throbbing like hell, and the rest of her body seemed to have been sore. Something was definitely not right, Ryoko knew it. Was it just her, or did her bed always lift up and down? Ryoko turned to the side for a moment only to find a shade of navy blue poking out of her covers.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Ryoko screamed at the sight of her arch-rival.

"Huh? WHOA!" Shizuma quickly found himself on the floor. "Where the hell am I?!" was Shizuma's first reaction. "What the, Ryoko?!" his eyes quickly found the site of the red-haired samurai girl.

"What the hell are you doing in my house?!" Ryoko screamed, covering her bare skin with one of the pillows on her bed.

"What are you talking about, I don't even know how I got here, Big Woman!" Shizuma snarled, using one of his favorite insults for her.

"Oh God, this can't be real, this has got to be dream...," Ryoko mumbled.

"Well if it is a dream I sure as hell would like to wake up and now!" Shizuma growled as he jumped into his boxer shorts.

"Ryoko, is something wrong in there?" Madoka's voice echoed from the other side of the hall.

"Damn, I gotta get outta here!" Shizuma said as he quickly gathered the rest of his clothes, dashing toward the window as fast as he could.

"This never happened, you got that?" Ryoko suddenly told Shizuma.

"What?" Shizuma stopped for a second to take another glance at his one night stand.

"Nothing happened between us last night!" Ryoko repeated herself. "Don't you dare 

tell a single soul or you're a dead man!" Ryoko said sharply.

"The same goes for me, I don't want anyone to know about my one-nighter with a sasquatch!" Shizuma spat as he made his way out the window.

"Take that back you Red Monkey!" Ryoko yelled just as Shizuma had made his escape.

  
  


"You haven't told anyone about it, did you?" Ryoko asked Shizuma, her eyes fixed back on the school.

"No," Shizuma shook his head, "you?"

"Not even Hitomi," Ryoko answered, "but that will all change soon. Before you know it, everyone will know our little secret."

"You mean you're keeping it?" Shizuma asked.

"...yeah," Ryoko answered, her hand taking hold of the fabric laying outside her belly.

"Are you sure, Ryoko? You know this means you'll have to give up on a whole bunch of stuff just so you can raise that kid," Shizuma explained.

"I don't care. They say that he who seeks two hares usually only ends up with one. Our child is one of those hares I don't want to lose, Shizuma, please understand that," Ryoko replied as a translucent river ran down her cheek.

"I understand, but don't think you're in this alone, I'm the one who got you into this whole mess in the first place, so let me help you out," Shizuma said as he placed his hand on Ryoko's shoulder.

His touch was gentle, comforting, it was so different from the rough impact his fists made during their K-fights. This touch was strange to her, yet, she felt as if it had touched her before. Was it this touch Shizuma had used that night? Her face began to burn, her heart was beating as fast as a humming bird would flap it's wings, why was she suddenly beginning to feel this way?

"Ryoko, I'll be there for you," his voice flew into her ears with the afternoon breeze. "I'll be there for you and our child."

Those words had locked Ryoko in place, echoing over and over again in her mind. His voice was reassuring and caring, not spouting out any insults or sarcasm as it usually would. Another stream of tears began to flow, this one not of sadness, but relief. It was good she would not be in this alone.

"Nagi!" Shizuma's nickname suddenly broke Ryoko out of her state. "Nagi!"

"Sarah!" the feel of Shizuma's hand slowly left her shoulder with the sound of Shizuma's voice.

"Nagi, I've been looking all over for you," Sarah informed the street fighter. "Oh, I didn't know you were with Ryoko," Sarah quickly turned to the samurai girl.

"Well, the two of us were just having a little talk," Shizuma's words suddenly shot through her Ryoko's heart.

The word "just" had never hurt Ryoko so much in her life, and it came from the one person who's words never meant anything to her until now. She began to hold the tears back once more, holding them in place with the baring of her teeth and clenching of her fist.

"Hey Ryoko, is it okay if I take Nagi out of your hands?" Sarah asked as she clung her arm around Shizuma's.

"Yeah, it's best if you get that Red Monkey outta here, if I hang around him any longer I'd probably get lice," Ryoko told Sarah.

"Shut up, Sasquatch!" Shizuma snapped back, acting as if what had happened moments ago had never occurred. "I'm sure you'd enjoy grooming it out of my hair if I had any!"

"What was that?!" Ryoko snarled as she took up her wooden sword.

"Hey, hey, both of you just calm down," Sarah said as she began to pull on Shizuma's arm. "Come on, Nagi, let's go."

Sarah made her way back to the path she came from as Shizuma began to follow. Before he took off, he turned back to Ryoko with his serious expression on his face.

"I'll see you at your place later tonight," Shizuma told her, his voice comforting her once more, "I want to help you."

"All right then," Ryoko nodded, "at eight, no later."

"I'll be there at eight then," Shizuma said.

With that said, Shizuma quickly turned back to where Sarah had gone and began tracing her steps. Ryoko, in the meantime, turned back toward the school, her lips stretched across her face.

"At eight then," Ryoko said as she closed her eyes.

  
  


Author's Note: Well, how was it? Go ahead and leave me a review and not a flame. I'll try and get the next chapter up as soon as possible, and sorry about this one being a bit short.


	4. What Words Cannot Speak

Author's Note: Yeah, sorry for the delay, but I've got school and stuff to deal with. Besides, this is a side project to my Rurouni Kenshin fan fic, 'Crimson String'. I got the final volume of Samurai Girl Real Bout High School the other day, and man was I pissed off. You'd think Ryoko and Shizuma would get together in the end, but no! Those episodes felt pretty rushed too, I was expecting a bigger battle. Oh well, that's what fan fiction is for, I can bridge up the gap in Ryoko and Shizuma's relationship in this fic. Enough talk, let's get to the story.  
  


Chapter 3: What Words Cannot Speak  
  


"Did you even think about what could've happened before you had that first drink?!" Madoka yelled at her niece for what seemed like the millionth time that evening.

Her reaction was pretty understandable, telling your aunt that you're pregnant should not be the first subject you should bring up doing dinner. Madoka was probably the fourth person Ryoko gave the news to that day, the first being Shizuma, and then Hitomi and Daisaku. Well, not really Daisaku, he overheard the news as hid in the bushes, taking his signature snapshots of the samurai girl.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Madoka," Ryoko apologized yet again, her head hanging low as she spoke.

"Oh yeah, you're sorry all right," Madoka huffed as she continued scolding her niece, "do you even know how you're going to raise that child?! It's difficult being a parent, Ryoko, and it will be even more difficult with all your school work! Did you even think about that before you had your first drink?! Apparently not, and look at the mess you're into now! Do you know what this will do to your future, Ryoko?! Do you?!"

"Are you saying that I should just get an abortion?!" Ryoko yelled as her palms slammed against the dinner table. "There's no way I'm going to, Aunt Madoka, there's no way I'm killing my child before they've even had a chance at life! Do you expect me to just end it's life before it's even started?! How dare you even suggest that!"

"...I wasn't suggesting that, Ryoko," Madoka said in an assuring voice, "it's just that I can't afford to raise you and that unborn child with my current salary. I want you to have your child, but I don't think we'll be able afford to keep it."

Just as Madoka had finished her words, the door had begun tapping. It was pretty late, Madoka wondered who was at the door, hopefully it wasn't a salesman. The last time a solicitor stopped by her door, he tried selling her a vacuum made of aluminum. The problem was that the solicitor came at the hour of eleven in the evening, just before Madoka was getting ready for bed. She didn't even bother listening to the salesman's pitch, as soon as he opened his mouth, Madoka took the merchandise and slammed it over the man's head. I guess the vacuum really was made out of aluminum since Madoka was able to life it over her head with one hand. Ryoko knew it wasn't a salesman that was knocking at this hour, in fact, she knew exactly who was at the door.

"Ryoko, you have a guest," Madoka called to her niece.

It was no surprise when she saw him, he did schedule with Ryoko that he'd be at her place at eight. The only problem was that the time was now eight-thirty, he was half an hour late, she didn't expect any exception to Shizuma's rule of being late.

"Hey," Shizuma waved to Ryoko.

"Hey," Ryoko greeted her guest as she got her wooden sword as it lay against the coat rack. "Um, Aunt Madoka, can you excuse us for a moment?" Ryoko asked as she began to make her way out the door.

"Sure," Madoka answered as her niece began treading out the door. "And you," Madoka's voice suddenly rose as soon as Shizuma and Ryoko's back were turned, "you're the one who did this to my Ryoko, aren't you?!"

"Aunt Madoka!" Ryoko suddenly sprang up to Shizuma's defense.

It felt weird defending for the street fighter, he was easily capable of doing it himself, although doing so would probably sour his relationship with Ryoko even more. Ryoko couldn't even recall the last time she stood up for him, or even if she stood up for him at all. It really was odd how she suddenly sprang to his defense, but for some reason, it was a natural reaction, as if she were obligated to do so.

"Come on, Shizuma," Ryoko sighed as she began leading him to the streets.

"That aunt of your's is pretty scary," Shizuma said once they were a great deal away from the house.

"Yeah, she can get pretty angry at times," Ryoko nodded.

"Are all chicks in your family hot-tempered, Big Woman?" Shizuma teased.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Ryoko spat as her head suddenly swerved to Shizuma's direction.

"What do you think it mean, Sasquatch?!" Shizuma stuck out his tongue.

"Why you stupid...!" Ryoko swung her wooden blade at Shizuma only to strike nothing but air.

"Ha ha," Shizuma laughed as he dodged her attack. "Come on, is that the best you can do?" he taunted again as he caught the oak slab between his palms.

"What's your problem, Mountain Monkey?!" Ryoko snapped just as Shizuma began to make a run for it.

Ryoko must've chased Shizuma up and down every street within the city. Her wooden sword would always hit trash cans, street lights, fire hydrants, and sometimes the occasional parked car or two, but never the navy-haired fighter. After what seemed like an eternity of running, Shizuma finally decided to take a stand at the local park. The two had stopped in front of a playground, the two of them readying for the other's attacks. Shizuma placed his fists just below his eye level, stretching his legs so that they were shoulder-width apart. His right leg was bent forward, his left arm in front of his right. Ryoko in the meantime, had done the same, only that she had her sword in her hands instead. She had made the first move, the oak curve slicing the wind as she charged. The blade slammed against the back of Shizuma's forearm, but the impact didn't seem to have any effect. Any other fighter would've had their limb broken, but this was Shizuma Kusanagi that had been struck, one of the strongest fighters in all of Daimon High. Ryoko continued swinging her blade without hesitation after the first strike, the next attack striking the air this time. Ryoko then made a third swing, followed by a fourth, neither of these attacks had hit their mark.

"Man, this is child's play," Shizuma yawned as the back of his wrist caught the wooden slab once more, "it's a miracle someone like you sent Gates back to Solvania."

"Shut up!" Ryoko screamed just as she raised her wooden blade above her head.

This was the perfect opportunity to go on the offense now, he should be able to end the fight quickly with one blow if he got it right. The oak curve fell from it's place, plummeting toward's Shizuma's skull, but instead, it had struck the earth. Ryoko stood shocked in the next moment, only to find her opponent suddenly behind her. His arms quickly wrapped around her body, binding her arms together as he brought her body closer to his. Ryoko had fallen backward in the process, her fall broken as her back was cushioned against Shizuma's chest. The two had fallen back again as a result, Shizuma taken the blunt of the impact as his back struck against the nearest tree. Ryoko had collapsed a bit more, her neck bending back so that her cheek was barely touching Shizuma's. Ryoko couldn't move, she was locked in place. It wasn't his grip that constrained her, but it was something else that was holding her back. It was odd, her body wanted to move, but there was something in the back of her mind that had enjoyed the predicament she had gotten into. It wasn't as if Shizuma's hold was restraining her movement, in fact, it was something she could easily break out of. His hold was tight and firm, yet it was soft and comforting. His chest was just as comfortable, each breath he took gave her a gentle rock forward and then back. His cheek would brush against her's as he cradled her in his arms, it was surprisingly soft, just it's touch had made her heart race. Her arm began to tread upward, her fingers curled as her palm met his wrist, sliding against them ever so gently. His arm was as hard as steel, yet as gentle as a cloud. Her face began to burn once more as his cheek began sliding down her neck, her heart was now trying to leap out of her chest, leaping harder with each inch his face had treaded. This feeling he gave her, it was something she had never felt before this day. She had first felt it earlier that day when they spoke, and yet again at this very moment. What was this feeling, could it be that she was falling for Shizuma Kusanagi, the one who would always call her names, the one she would always get into fights with, the one who got her into this whole mess?

"That was fun, wasn't it?" his voice flew into her ear as a mere whisper.

"Yeah," Ryoko couldn't help but smile, "that was."

Ryoko felt as if she could just die right now, right there in his arms. His touch was reassuring, his breath was as comforting as the morning breeze, and his skin was as smooth as a newborn baby's skin. There was no one that had ever made her feel this way, not even Tatsuya. Shizuma Kusanagi, her arch-rival and the father of her child, who knew he could be such an angel.

"Shizuma...," his name had escaped her lips in her next breath.

"Ryoko, there's a reason I came to see you this evening," Shizuma suddenly spoke.

"What is it?" she turned to the street fighter.

"Ryoko...I...," Shizuma began to stutter.

This was so unlike Shizuma, he would always be able to voice his words with no problem, but right now, he just couldn't, why? Shizuma was always able to speak to Ryoko with no problems, okay, not really speak, but insult. There was something about the samurai girl that had made him feel this way, there was something in her eyes that made him powerless so suddenly. The gaze of her violet eyes had locked him in place suddenly, he could see the translucent liquid flowing from his brow and the nervous look on his face through the reflection of her pupils. She was smiling, an expression she barely showed him. Maybe it was that smile that was making him feel this way, or was it just her presence? Either way, the might Shizuma Kusanagi had found himself helpless before the spell Ryoko Mitsurugi had placed on him.

"Shizuma, what is it?" Ryoko asked once more, those violet orbs growing closer.

"I...," Shizuma stuttered once more, "I... came here to give you something... for the baby," the final three words left his lips in an instant.

"Oh... really?" Ryoko said with a small hint of disappointment in her words.

"It's not much, but here," Shizuma reached into his pocket and threw the contents into her palm.

"Oh my God, Shizuma, do you know how much this is?!" Ryoko exclaimed as her hand ran down the paper bills that lay in her hand.

"Twenty thousand yen, at least that's how much it was the last time I checked," Shizuma informed Ryoko.

"Where did you get all this?" Ryoko asked as her hand ran down the bills once more.

"I got it the last time I was at Ikeburo," Shizuma answered.

"Ikeburo, isn't that where people go for gambling on street fights?" Ryoko asked.

"Yeah," Shizuma nodded, "why?"

"Shizuma, I don't want you street-fighting anymore," Ryoko suddenly ordered.

"What?!" Shizuma said surprised from Ryoko's sudden order.

"I said I don't want you street-fighting anymore!" Ryoko repeated herself, her voice somewhat demanding.

"And just why not?!" Shizuma snapped. "You can't tell me what I can and can't do!"

"Shizuma, think about our child, will you?!" Ryoko spat. "Have you ever thought about the consequences if you ever lost one of those matches?! You could be seriously injured one day, or even die in one of those fights! Did you ever think about how our child would feel if their father was killed one day when he was out trying to make money for his family? Did you ever think about how I would feel?" Ryoko said as her eyes gradually pulled to the floor.

"And just how do you feel?" Shizuma asked.

"How do I feel...?" Ryoko repeated. "Shizuma, I..."

Her face felt as if it were on fire, burning as if it were placed in a furnace. Her knees suddenly locked in place, her heart practically pounding against her rib cage. Could she tell him how she really felt about him? How would he react? Would he welcome her love with open arms, or would he simply turn his back on it? She didn't know what to say, what to do, there was only one thing that came into mind.

"I think you're a good friend," she finally answered.

"A friend," Shizuma repeated, "that's cool."

Was it cool? No, it really hurt. Shizuma had been through many injuries during his fights, bruises, cuts, broken bones, basically any kind of injury you can come up with, but the worst injury of all came from something he had never expected, words. He never knew words could hurt so much until now, it was just like that one time he broke three of his ribs from a K-fight, only ten, no, fifty times worse. Shizuma was never one to show how painful an injury was, and what had happened now would be no exception to the rule.

"Shizuma, will you stop fighting?" Ryoko's voice suddenly returned him to reality. "For the sake of our child, will you stop?"

"...yeah, I'll stop," Shizuma answered.

"Thank you," Ryoko smiled.

"We better get you home now," Shizuma suggested, "your aunt might try to kill me if we stay out any longer."

"Yeah," Ryoko nodded.

That walk the two had, it was very different from the one they had when they had reached the park. Neither one had said a word as Shizuma walked Ryoko back to her house, the two of them seemed to have had their mind on something. Before either of them knew it, they were in front of Ryoko's house, Madoka still planted in front of the doorway just as she was when Ryoko had left.

"Well, I guess this is your stop, huh?" Shizuma said as a sudden itch began creeping up his neck.

"Yeah," Ryoko said as her right hand slid against her left bicep, "it is."

"There you are!" Madoka gave a sigh of relief just as she spotted her niece. "Where were you young lady, I was getting worried about you? You didn't have anything to drink this time, did you?"

"No, Aunt Madoka," Ryoko assured her. "Can you give us a minute?" she asked after.

"All right," Madoka sighed as she returned to the living room.

"So I guess I'll see you tomorrow then," Shizuma said as he began to scratch the itch that had been traveling down his neck since their arrival.

"Yeah, I guess so," Ryoko said.

"Later," Shizuma waved, making his way passed Ryoko without taking one more look back.

"Shizuma!" Ryoko called before he disappeared among the city lights.

"Hm?" Shizuma turned back for one last glance of the samurai girl.

"Good night," Ryoko waved.

"Good night," Shizuma said and continued on his way.

Ryoko watched him as figure slowly melded with the many lights of the city. The last thing she saw were those navy-blue strands of hair as they bounced with every step he took, jumping over the distance once more before they suddenly disappeared. It was weird, but her heart which had been trying to escape from her chest for the last half hour had suddenly been torn in half. The burn that had consumed her face had now consumed her eyes. Translucent rivers began to crawl down her cheeks as her voice began to crack. Sadness had devoured her, a feeling that was so rare to the samurai girl.

"Shizuma...," she uttered his name between her tears, "I love you."

"Huh?" Shizuma suddenly stopped amidst the masses of the city.

A drop of liquid had found itself on Shizuma's cheek. Shizuma looked toward the sky for a moment, there was not a cloud in the sky. He turned back to the drop that was now in his palm, and he turned back to the sky once more. Was it a drop of rain? It couldn't have been.

"Ryoko..., I... love you."  
  


Author's Note: Well, well, what do you know, the plot thickens. I hope you readers enjoyed this chapter, and I hope this story doesn't feel rushed. So tell me what you think and leave me a review, but not a flame, all right?


	5. A Promise That Can't be Kept

Author's Note: I guess I was able to update sooner than expected. Damn, the Real Bout anime's ending still has me pissed off, hopefully the manga doesn't end the same way. I think it was easier to choose the anime universe over the manga universe because I don't know the ending for the manga, not to mention I don't want to deal with the characters from Ryoko's Shinsengumi and the other gang. Oh well, that's enough of my ranting, let's get to the story now.

  
  


Chapter 4: A Promise That Can't be Kept

  
  


History had just come to a close once again. The entire class was well out the door before the bell even rang today, well, almost the entire class. Ryoko was still in her desk, her eyes planted on the scenery outside. She had been locked in thought the entire period, the events that had transpired with the blue-haired fighter the night before were still fresh in her mind. She could remember his gentle caress, his soft skin, and soothing voice, she could recall these things by simply closing her eyes. She could recall the promise he made her that night.

"Shizuma, will you stop fighting?" she had asked him. "For the sake of our child, will you stop?"

"...yeah, I'll stop," he answered.

She was happy to hear him say those words that night, his promise to stop fighting for her. Was it really for her sake, or was it for her child's?

"Shizuma, who did you promise to stop fighting for?" Ryoko had asked herself the millionth time that day. "Was it for me, or was it our child? Oh who am I kidding?!" Ryoko yelled as she leaped out of her seat. "If none of this would've happened he wouldn't have promised me anything! That moron would continue going to Ikeburo every night just to earn a few bucks to watch out for himself. He wouldn't make a promise like that to me in a million years if what happened that night never occurred! But if it never happened, the two of us would never have been able to get together that night," Ryoko began to sink back in her chair, "and I would never... have fallen for that stupid red monkey. We would still... be fighting, constant bickering day in and day out, a vicious cycle I never enjoyed. Shizuma..., it wasn't until all this had happened that I finally realized how I truly felt about you, yet..., I can't even bring myself to express those feelings to you. You're only doing this for me because you feel responsible, right? If that night had never occurred, how would you feel about me, Shizuma?"

"Ryoko," Hitomi's voice echoed down the hall, "Ryoko!" Hitomi stopped before the entrance of the room.

"Huh, oh, hi Hitomi," Ryoko glanced at her friend.

"Ryoko, are you all right?" Hitomi asked as she approached her friend.

"I've been doing some thinking, that's all," Ryoko answered.

"Thinking, Ryoko, about what?" Hitomi asked as the two began to make their way outside the building.

"It's nothing, really," Ryoko answered, her head hanging low once more.

"Something's wrong, I can tell, Ryoko, you always act like this when something's on your mind," Hitomi pointed out, "please, tell me what's on your mind."

"I'm sorry, but I'd rather keep this to myself," Ryoko apologized, not even looking at her friend as she spoke.

"It's about Shizuma Kusanagi, isn't it?" Daisaku suddenly appeared.

"Shizuma?" Ryoko quickly turned to her faithful fan.

"Don't get me wrong, but he's been on your mind this entire week, hasn't he?" Daisaku asked.

"...yeah," Ryoko admitted, "he has."

"Are you worried he won't take responsibility for your child?" Hitomi asked.

"No, it's not that," Ryoko answered, "I know he's willing to take responsibility, he even stopped by my house last night and gave me some money for the baby."

"Then what is it?"

"When this is all over, when I've given birth to our child, what will happen to us?" Ryoko asked as a translucent river began to crawl down her cheek.

Ryoko had numerous situations that she had played out through her mind many times. They were all very different, yet the basic premise was always the same. Ryoko would be watching their child until Shizuma came at the door. He would take their child with a smile on his face and walk out the door without taking a second glance at Ryoko. Moments later, Shizuma would return the child to her arms, leaving her once more without taking a look back. Ryoko didn't want that kind of relationship with Shizuma, she wanted him to always be there, it was greedy, but Ryoko knew that's what she wanted.

"Hey, Ryoko," the voice of her arch rival suddenly snapped her out of that dreadful world.

"Shizuma!" Ryoko quickly turned toward him with a smile stretched across her face.

"You're awfully cheery today," Shizuma pointed out.

"What are you talking about?" Ryoko asked, trying to hide her sadness away with a mask of happiness. "I'm always like this!"

"Yeah, whenever you're not trying to smack me with that stick-for-a-sword of your's!" Shizuma teased.

"Got that right," Ryoko laughed.

"This is weird," Daisaku thought as he watched the two K-fight champions laughing, "I've never seen these two get along so well."

"Hey Ryoko, you want to go grab some lunch," Shizuma suddenly asked her, "of course, you can bring your friends if you want."

"Sure," Ryoko nodded.

"You can go on without us," Hitomi informed Ryoko.

"Hey, but I wanted to..." Daisaku tried to speak for himself only to have his mouth covered by Hitomi's hand.

"Have a nice meal," Hitomi waved with her free hand as she tried to keep Daisaku's mouth shut.

"So what do want to get?" Shizuma asked as the two ventured out of the building.

"It doesn't really matter," Ryoko answered as she walked by Shizuma's side, step by step.

"My sister packed me a lunch today," Shizuma said as they stopped in front of his bike, "she made too much so maybe it's best that we share it," he said as pulled out two boxes out of his bike's knapsack.

'This is most definitely weird. Two lunch boxes are too much for Shizuma?! No way, that can't be right,' Ryoko though to herself. 'If I can recall, he ate those two lunches Azumi Kirabyashi-senpai and I made for Tatsuya-senpai a while back with no problem. I guess he's making it his liberty to take care of me too since I'm carrying our child.'

"Hey, something the matter, Sasquatch?" Shizuma asked, waving his palm before her eyes.

"What'd you call me?!" Ryoko snapped.

'She's cute when she's angry,' Shizuma thought to himself.

"Hey, calm down," Shizuma said in his normal tone of voice, "can't eat if you're getting all huffy."

"Huh, oh, yeah," Ryoko quickly cooled down as she took a seat on a nearby bench.

Shizuma sat right next to Ryoko. He couldn't help but admire the samurai girl as she unfurled the handkerchief binding her meal. Her fingers looked so smooth and slender, despite how many times they would swell from holding her wooden sword so tightly, her arms looked so nice and silky, just watching how she untied her lunch so delicately made Shizuma jealous of the lunch box. His eyes traced down to her legs, they were so long and looked so soft, he wondered how they would feel if they could just wrap around him, he probably wouldn't mind if she did so during a K-fight, though they'd probably suffocate him. He began to look upward, finding her body. It looked so firm, so feminine despite all the workouts and exercises she had gone through in order to try and gain a muscular build. Her breasts, he wondered how they would feel if they were pressed up against him, they looked so firm, but he bet they were as soft as clouds if he were to touch them. Her neck seemed so delicate, just his very touch seemed like it could melt it. He traced her figure to her face now. She looked so beautiful, not a scratch nor scar were apparent despite the many battles she had. Those violet orbs surrounded by white, Shizuma could practically lose himself in them. Her skin looked so silky, so creamy, he wish could he could taste it, she was so easily within reach, yet so far apart. God he loved her, but did she love him?

"Hm?" Ryoko finally realized Shizuma had been staring at her for the last five minutes.

"Gah!" Shizuma fell back from the shock, rolling to the floor in the process.

"Ah ha ha ha," Ryoko couldn't help but chuckle.

Her voice was music to his ears. Such a sweet lullaby, he could easily listen to it for all eternity and not tire of it. She was a goddess to him, yet he seemed like a pauper compared to the samurai girl. It was weird, the two were easily on the same level in terms of skill, but Shizuma somehow felt inferior compared to her. He didn't deserve her, at least that's what he thought.

'I'm lucky to even be sitting here with her, aren't I?' Shizuma thought to himself.

"Oh man, that was just hilarious! Are you okay, Shizuma?" Ryoko asked as she wiped away the tears that had formed from laughing.

"Yeah, I'm cool," Shizuma boasted as he dusted the dust off his jacket, "I just felt like rolling off the bench for now apparent reason."

"Sure," Ryoko rolled her eyes as Shizuma took back his seat.

"Hey Ryoko...," Shizuma called her name in a serious tone, "do you think... friendship can ever bloom into anything else?"

What was this all of a sudden? Shizuma, asking about friendship evolving? How many new sides of her arch rival did Ryoko see these last two days? She didn't seem to mind, in fact, she liked all these new personas that Shizuma continued revealing to her.

"Friendship blooming into something else...," Ryoko repeated his words.

Why was he asking this? Could it be that Shizuma also had feelings for Ryoko? Feelings that weren't forced because of their unborn child?

"Why do you ask?" Ryoko asked, her cheeks beginning to kindle with the burn she felt last night.

"Because, Ryoko, I..."

His fingers slowly reached for her shoulder, holding them ever so gently when it was within his grasp. Her face began searing once more as his lips began to venture toward her's. His breath was so cool, catalyzing the fire in her heart. Her lips looked so tender, the sweet honey that was locked beneath them looked just as tantalizing. Just one taste, he just had to have one, just one, he could die a happy man if he could taste those lips just once. She pushed herself forward, her body was pressing against his now, she felt so comfortable and at east just sitting there. They were so close, their figures would be one if they could just share this one kiss. Ryoko could practically taste the sweet ambrosia that was locked inside his mouth, she just had to get closer and that sweet syrup was her's, all her's.

"Oh Shizuma...," her breath barely spoke his name.

"Attention all students!" the voice of Tamaki, the student announcer for the K-Fights suddenly echoed throughout the entire campus. "A challenge has just been made to the current K-Fight champion, Ryoko Mitsurugi, for the championship! The champion and all those who wish to witness this spectacular event are to report to the auditorium at this very minute!"

"Yeah!" the entire school suddenly roared as the two fighters sat in the very same place, their lips frozen before an invisible barrier.

"I guess that's me," Ryoko sighed as she pulled herself away from Shizuma's arms.

"Are you going to fight?" Shizuma asked.

"No," Ryoko answered. "I can't fight, not while this child is still growing inside me."

"Then why are you going?"

"I... I'm going to report my retirement to the entire school," Ryoko answered.

"I see," Shizuma said as he began to make his way toward his bike.

"You're not going to watch?" Ryoko asked as the street fighter revved his bike.

"Sorry, but there's something I gotta do," Shizuma said as he placed his helmet over his head.

"Oh...," Ryoko's head began to sink back to the floor.

Her eyes began to weigh down, slowly dwindling to the pavement. A drop had splashed onto the gray floor, pulling her chin to the ground even more. Something had suddenly slipped underneath her chin, pushing her face forward once more.

"Hey, keep your chin up, okay?" Shizuma said as his thumb stretched across her cheek, pushing away her tears.

"Okay...," Ryoko nodded, putting on her best smile.

"Crying doesn't befit a woman like you, so smile," Shizuma assured her.

"Thank you, Shizuma," Ryoko sniffed.

"Later," Shizuma waved before his bike suddenly skidded along the road.

"Later," Ryoko uttered as she remained in place.

Shizuma had stopped far from the school when he finally parked his bike. This area wasn't very well kept; animals were constantly barking, graffiti was painted over all the buildings, fences were planted over every alley and corner, even gunshots were heard over all the animal barks. Police sirens also filled the area, as well as four-letter words that would follow every other word one person in the vicinity spoke. Shizuma had to take a look back every so often as he began to walk down one path between two apartment buildings. The screams of men and women being attacked began to flow into Shizuma's ears, cheers of various names blew into his ears with each step Shizuma took. The cries grew louder, the shaking of fences began to rupture in his ears as well. Finally, Shizuma had come to a stop, standing before him was a very tall and muscular man, his face scrunched up and scarred, you can easily tell that this man has had his share of fights. Behind this man was a giant fence, cluttered with many masses outfitted in leather and jeans, the masses huddled in a circle as two other men struck each other with their fists and items that were scattered throughout the floor.

"Welcome to Ikeburo," the muscular man greeted Shizuma, "will you be fighting today, Mr. Kusanagi?"

"Hell yeah!" Shizuma exclaimed as his knuckles cracking as they flattened against his palm.

The man pulled the gate to the arena wide open, just as one of the fighters had been dragged out of the ring. Shizuma stood in the center of all the masses, of all of them booing his name except for one spectator.

"Go Nagi!" Sarah screamed atop of all of the crowd's putdowns.

"Ha ha ha," the man before Shizuma taunted the young street fighter.

This man was huge, three heads taller than Shizuma and two times wider. Muscles poked out of every crevice on his body, each of those muscles lined with marks from previous battles. His head was shaved bald, the reflection of half the spectators was reflected off the thug's skull. Without even waiting for the bell, the man took a hold of Shizuma's shirt, pulling his entire being upward to his height. A loud ting suddenly filled the area at that moment, the thug began to pull his free arm back. Without wasting a second, Shizuma quickly shot his head forward, striking it against the bare skull of his opponent. The man fell with that one blow, a large crater between his eyes and a river of crimson flowing below his nose. The bell rang once more, and the thug was immediately dragged out of the arena.

"That's my Nagi!" Sarah screamed as the rest of the crowd booed once more.

"I'm sorry, Ryoko," Shizuma said as he watched his former opponent thrown out of the arena, "but this is the only way I know how to make a living..."

  
  


Author's Note: You readers didn't actually think Shizuma was going to stop fighting just like that, were you? I had this planned from the very beginning, there is no way Shizuma's gonna stop fighting if he makes a promise (unfortunately). I dunno if it's just me, but does this chapter feel rushed? Hopefully I'm not rushing the story... Well, leave me a review, and as usual, I don't take flames.


	6. Hold Me

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews, they help keep me going. Anyway, I've been thinking about putting a lemon chapter in this fic, but I'm not sure yet. I'll let you guys decide, just tell me if you want one or not when you leave your review, okay? Oh, and just to tell you ahead of time, this chapter's kinda slow.

  
  


Chapter 5: Hold Me

  
  


The entire auditorium was packed, the cheers of many students echoed throughout the building. The ring was set, the ropes were just tied, the mat swept, and the announce tables shined. In front of the ring sat the two usual commentators, Principal Todo and Tamaki, and outside the ring say Ryoko's trademark fans, Hitomi, with the med kit handy, and Daisaku, with his trademark camera in hand. The cheers grew louder as the crowds rose from their seats as a flash of red appeared from the ring's entrance, everyone began cheering her name.

"Ryoko! Ryoko!" the crowds cheered as the samurai girl made her way to the ring.

Ryoko kept her eyes to the ring as she kept a straight face, her sight locked at the task of hand, never swaying toward anyone in the crowd. Her first K-Fight flashed through her mind with her next step, she remembered the adrenaline that rushed through her veins as her wooden blade struck down her senpai, Azumi Kiribyashi. She took a second step, and another K-Fight flashed through her mind. She was fighting with a fellow classmate from math, he went down so easily compared to Azumi, one strike to the stomach was all it took. Her foot stepped once more, her third fight flashed through her mind. With every step that Ryoko took, another fight would flash through her mind. Her eyes slowly began to fill with tears as the ring grew closer, yet her head was still kept high.

"Crying doesn't befit a woman like you, so smile," Shizuma's words echoed in her ears.

"I know," Ryoko said, finding herself in the ring in the next moment.

"And here's our champion, Ryoko Mitsurugi!" Tamaki announced as the students cheers blared once more throughout the auditorium.

For once in her entire K-Fight career, Ryoko turned to her audience. Her eyes spun in all directions as she turned to look at everyone of them. Those smiles and cheers, she had never really appreciated them until now. The tears wouldn't escape, she wouldn't let them.

"Not now," she told herself. "I haven't even announced my retirement and I'm already getting emotional."

"And now for the brave soul who wishes to challenge our red-haired champion," Tamaki turned to the curtain behind her and Principal Todo. "She's no stranger on this campus, we all know her as the president of the Flower Arrangement Club and Master of the Kiribyashi Naginata style, but also as the eternal number one competitor for the K-Fight Championship, let's give it up for Azumi Kiribyashi!"

At the moment her name was announced, the rose red curtain flew open. Standing there was the elegant Azumi Kiribyashi, naginata in hand, her silky black hair tied, and several sakura blossoms pouring down on her. As usual, the mask of happiness was drawn on her face, her lips stretched from ear to ear as she slowly stepped into the ring. The name of her challenger was no surprise to Ryoko, these two had met many times in the K-Fight ring.

"How did I know it was you, Kiribyashi-senpai?" Ryoko groaned at the sight of her rival.

"My dear Miss Mitsurugi, it's pleasure to fight you once more," Azumi greeted her opponent. "The last time we fought I believe was when we couldn't decide who would make a boxed lunch for Lord Tatsuya, isn't that correct? If I can recall, that match ended in a draw and poor Lord Tatsuya ended up in the nurse's office because of that travesty for a lunch you made for him."

"It wasn't my lunch that got him sick, it was your's, Senpai!" Ryoko yelled.

"No, it was your's," Azumi snapped back.

"No, your's!"

"No, your's!"

"No, your's!"

"There they go again," Hitomi sighed as the two warriors continued their bickering.

"Miss Ryoko, if you don't do something soon, it would be summer vacation as soon as the match started," Daisaku sighed.

"Well why does it matter," Azumi sighed after a few more lines of arguing, "let's just leave it that it was your fault, okay?"

"Why you stupid...!" the grip around Ryoko's blade tightened.

"Now then, shall we begin?" Azumi asked as she held her naginata before her.

"...no, we won't," Ryoko told Azumi as she dropped the slab of oak in her hand.

"What?!" the word suddenly sprang up throughout the entire building.

"...I ... surrender my championship to you, Azumi Kiribyashi-senpai," Ryoko repeated, shunning the entire school, "and I do so without a struggle..."

"Miss Ryoko?!" Daisaku stood shocked over her words.

"She can't do it," Hitomi said as she watched her friend stand frozen in the ring, "she can't fight while she's bearing her child, she just can't."

"Miss Mitsurugi, please explain yourself?!" Principal Todo ordered after grabbing the microphone from Tamaki's hand.

"You can't just surrender to me just like that," Azumi told Ryoko, "I was expecting Lord Tatsuya to see an excellent fight today. You can't just leave me here like this, you'll make both of us look bad!"

"...I have my reasons for surrendering," Ryoko answered.

The entire crowd grew silent after the samurai girl finished her words. The tears were starting to fall now, her lip began to quiver, and her knees shaking. She wouldn't allow herself to cry now, not in front of the people who looked up to her. Her eyes circled the entire auditorium once more, seeing all the surprised looks that surrounded her brought another river of tears to her eyes. This was the peak of her K-Fight fame, there was no way she'd go out crying like a child.

"Good-bye, everyone," she said before making her way out of the ring for one last time.

All that happened one week ago. Daisaku had recorded the entire event and gave a copy of it to Ryoko. Everyday since then, Ryoko would watch the tape over and over again after school. It was always difficult for her to watch. The mighty Ryoko Mitsurugi had finally fallen out of the ring, defeated not by another warrior, but by the one inside her womb. Ryoko was now a normal student, her name has been quickly forgotten by her many admirers, hardly anyone remembers her name anymore. Azumi became the K-Fight Champion shortly after Ryoko's retirement, one could not walk down the campus and not hear her name. Ryoko had also became a stranger in the Kendo Club, her name was quickly erased with her retirement. Her Kenjutsu lessons at the Hiten Shrine were also put on hold, yet Miyuki and Master Tessai have still not forgotten her name. None of this was easy for Ryoko, but she knew that it was all for the best.

"Ryoko," Madoka knocked on her door, "Shizuma's here."

"Bring him in please," Ryoko ordered.

Not all things that came about this last week were bad. Shizuma would often visit Ryoko later in the day, dropping by to say hi and give her some more money for the baby. They had become good friends in the past few days, they'd never argue as much as they did in the past.

"Hey," Shizuma greeted her as he entered the room.

"Hey," Ryoko smiled.

"I got some more money for the baby," Shizuma quickly handed her his latest pay check.

Shizuma never told Ryoko how he got the money, he would always tell her that he got a part time job working at warehouses where he would move boxes and stuff around. In case she ever got suspicious, Shizuma also carried with him a fake worker's ID. No one knew Shizuma's true occupation, well, almost no one. Everyday after visiting Ryoko, Shizuma would head over to Ikeburo and some more money for his child, Sarah was always there to cheer her Nagi on. She never learned what happened between him and Ryoko that evening, Shizuma wasn't able to tell a single soul about what happened that night two weeks ago.

"Thank you, Shizuma," Ryoko took the bills and placed them in an envelope.

Ryoko had been saving up all the money she had received from Shizuma. There was quite a bit inside the envelope, though it was only probably only enough to support their child for one year. Ryoko had been contemplating getting a part-time job at the Daimon Outlet Center, but Madoka wouldn't allow Ryoko to leave the house, at least when Shizuma was around.

"So how are you feeling?" Shizuma asked.

"All right, I guess," Ryoko answered.

The had to be careful what they talked about, if Madoka overheard a conversation she didn't find appropriate, she would toss Shizuma out the door in the next second.

"Ryoko, I have to go back to work!" Madoka suddenly called. "Something's come up at the hospital and they need more nurses over there."

"All right, I'll see you later then," Ryoko called to her aunt.

"I should get going to," Shizuma said as he began to make his way out the door.

"Wait, don't go," Ryoko called to him, "you just got here."

"Your aunt probably doesn't trust me to be alone with you," Shizuma explained, "so I'll see you later."

"No!" Ryoko quickly took a hold of his hand. "Please stay."

Her hold was firm, yet her fingers were gently caressing his. He turned to her eyes, losing himself in those violet orbs. They looked sad, rivers of tears would just flood down her face if she were to blink. He could see his own reflection sparkling from her pupils, he could see how much he really didn't want to leave. He couldn't bear to see her like this, he had to stay, for both of their sakes.

"All right," Shizuma nodded, "I'll stay."

"Thank you," Ryoko said as she wiped away the residue beneath her eyes.

Shizuma turned to Ryoko's bed, finding a seat by the mattress's edge. Ryoko sat next to him, her eyes drawn to the floor as she began contemplating what to do from here. She was waiting for him to say something, but it seemed as if Shizuma had been doing the same. Both of them began thinking, remembering what had happened a week ago before Ryoko announced her retirement to the whole school. Now that both of them think about it, they never did have that kiss, and for once, they were all alone. Maybe they could have it now? Was it too soon? Could they even have it if neither of them hasn't even said a word?

"Shizuma, " Ryoko was the first to speak.

"...yeah?" Shizuma broke out of his thoughts.

"...two weeks ago, you asked me if I thought friendship could evolve into something else," Ryoko recalled, "why is that?"

"Well... uh, you see...," Shizuma had suddenly found stuttering once more.

Her charm had taken hold of Shizuma, making the mighty street fighter a blubbering fool. He didn't seem like a fool in Ryoko's eyes, she found his stuttering cute. She never thought she'd see the day her arch-rival tripping over his own words. It brought a smile to her face to see him struggling, she could watch him be like this all day and not grow bored at all.

"You see what?" she decided to tease him by throwing him some of her own words.

"Well, it's just that...," he still found himself speechless.

He had to say something, but what? Shizuma didn't seem to be going anywhere with words at the moment, so he had to do something, anything to get him out of this mess. How could he answer her, there was only one thing that came to mind. Without holding back, Shizuma quickly took hold of Ryoko's shoulders, drawing his lips toward her's. Her lips were so soft, so moist, finally he could taste the ambrosia inside her mouth and remember it. Ryoko stood shocked at what had just happened.

"Is this a dream?" Ryoko asked herself. "This can't be a dream, please don't let this be a dream," Ryoko chanted to herself inside her head. "If this is a dream, please don't wake me up."

She wanted to savor this moment, her eyes slowly shutting so she could focus on the sweet taste resting before her lips. She began suckling at it's contents, her tongue slipping through the barrier of his lips to find more. It met with his, the two wrestling one an another back and forth, fighting over the delicious sweet inside the other's mouth. She began to lay back, Shizuma slipping down with her, his lips trying to escape her's only to come back for more. How either of them could just lay there for eternity, this was moment neither of them would want to forget, a memory that would even follow to their next lives. Finally, after struggling with their hearts so long, they both pulled back, a trail of the ambrosia still linking their mouths.

"Ryoko...," he said her name as his gaze returned to her lavender eyes.

"Shizuma," she found her arms behind her neck.

"Ryoko, I don't know where my keys are, have you seen them?" Madoka suddenly burst into the room.

"Uh oh...," was Shizuma's first reaction.

Steam was practically blowing from Madoka's head as her face began to scrunch and her fist strangling what she imagined to be Shizuma's neck. Seeing a guy on top of your niece was definitely not something that would bring out the best in someone, in fact, it would do just the opposite.

"Um... maybe I should get going now...," Shizuma said as he slowly began to make his way out of the room.

"THAT'S IT!!!!" Madoka screamed.

"Shit!" Shizuma quickly found himself darting out of the house with Madoka hot on his trail.

"Come back here you hormone-driven son of a bitch!" Madoka screamed as she chased the street fighter out of her house.

"See ya tomorrow!" Shizuma called back to Ryoko as he dashed down the street.

"Tomorrow," Ryoko smiled as her fingers traced her lips.

Finally, she had gotten a taste of his lips. It would be something she could savor for the rest of eternity. She closed her eyes again and she could remember the feel of his mouth, the moistness of his tongue, she wanted more, she was sure he did too.

"Not yet," she told herself, "these things take time..."

She turned back to her TV and returned to the remote. She began to play her K-Fight retirement once more, only sigh at the first sight of herself. Without wasting another second, Ryoko pushed the power button on the remote. She didn't need a reminder of the peak of her K-Fight career, she just lived through what could've been the peak of her entire life.

  
  


Author's Note: Well, how was it? I dunno, this chapter felt kind rushed, but whatever. Anyway, leave me a review, and no flames as usual. Oh, and expect a bit of action in the next chapter when we look into one of Shizuma's fights at Ikeburo.


	7. Love and War What's the Difference?

Author's Note: Sorry for not updating earlier, school got in the way. Normally we see events revolving Ryoko in this fic, however, I think I'll change some stuff around for this chapter. We'll still see events revolving around Ryoko in the beginning, but Shizuma will get much more screen time in this chapter. With that said, let's get to the story.

  
  


Chapter 6: Love and War... What is the Difference?

  
  


"Are you serious?!" was Hitomi's first reaction upon hearing the news.

"Uh huh," Ryoko nodded with a smile stretched across her face.

She, Hitomi, and Daisaku were having lunch together that day, all three of them sitting at a table in the northeast corner of the cafeteria. It was crowded as usual, conversations about classes and the events that transpired over the last K-Fight were common in the room. Ryoko had just told her friends of her first kiss with Shizuma that happened the other day, her face burning with that same feeling she felt when he placed his lips on her's. Ryoko could just close her eyes and feel her mouth suckling against his again, fighting with his tongue over the ambrosia locked within his mouth.

"Oh man, I wish I was there," Daisaku whined, "that would've been a great picture to add to my collection!"

"Speaking of pictures, Daisaku, can I ask you a favor?" Ryoko turned to her number one fan.

"What is it?" Daisaku asked.

"The baby is due in eight months," Ryoko began, "I'd appreciate it if you could accompany Shizuma and me on some our outings to take pictures of the two of us."

"Really, do you mean that?" Daisaku hurried to her side with calf eyes.

"Yeah," Ryoko nodded.

"ALL RIGHT!!!!" Daisaku yelled at the top of voice, grabbing the attention of the entire cafeteria.

"On one condition though," Ryoko continued. "You'll only come when Shizuma and I ask you to, okay?"

"Sure, no thing, Miss Ryoko," Daisaku agreed with a smile. "This is one of the most happiest days of my life," Daisaku chanted as he made his way to the lunch line.

"Hitomi, I have a favor to ask of you too," Ryoko turned to her best friend after.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I'd like you to be my advisor during this eight months," Ryoko answered. "I'd like to you to give me advice on what clothes I should buy and what toys to get my baby since your good with kids."

"I guess I can do that," Hitomi answered.

"Thanks a lot, Hitomi," Ryoko thanked her. "By the way, have you seen that Red Monkey today?" Ryoko changed the subject. "He told me yesterday that he'd see me today, but I haven't caught a single glimpse of him."

"I haven't seen him either today," Hitomi answered. "He's usually a half hour late to Geometry, but he didn't even show up today."

So where exactly was Shizuma? Sure he was one to come to class about half an hour late, but he'd never miss class, even if he did fall asleep on his desk five minutes later. Where else would the street fighter be?

"Argh!" a thug suddenly came crashing to the arena's pebble-ridden floor.

"Man you're pathetic," Shizuma spat at his opponent, cracking his knuckles as he spoke. "Even holding back I still feel like I'm abusing a baby."

'A baby,' Shizuma thought to himself after, 'that's why I'm doing this right? For our baby. I'm not doing this for my own personal greed, it's for my kid, the kid that Ryoko's holding in her womb. Ryoko, I don't see why I can't make a living with this line of work, I mean, if I enjoy what I do and it pays for our kid, it shouldn't really matter, right?'

"All right, Nagi!" Sarah cheered from the crowd's boos.

"What number was that, Sarah?" Shizuma called to his young follower.

"That was the twentieth guy you knocked out since you came here this morning," Sarah answered.

"Twenty? Jeez, I haven't even broken a sweat," Shizuma boasted. "All right, who's next?" Shizuma turned back to the arena.

A man from the crowd suddenly pushed his way through the crowd. He was about Shizuma's height, muscles pumped in every part of his body. His arms laid five inches from his side, the path of his veins was very visible even from a mile away. His legs were as thick as a tree trunk, and possibly as thick as cement. He wore a tattered white shirt, it's sleeves ripping once the man began flexing his muscles. He was wearing ripped denim shorts, the right leg of his shorts were half as long as the left. A scar was scratched on his temple, stretched from ear to ear. The man looked intimidating even to the fight's spectators, but Shizuma didn't even flinch at the sight of his new opponent.

"Hey there, handsome, care to dance?" Shizuma taunted as he readied his fists once more.

"I'll wipe that smirk off your face with the ash on the floor!" the man said sharply.

"Bring it on," the smirk on Shizuma's face stretched.

The man pushed forward, his left arm taking the plunge. Shizuma quickly halted the attack with the back of his left wrist, only to suddenly find himself pushed to the floor by a force exerted on his stomach. Pushing all of his weight into his back, Shizuma was able to roll away from his opponent's following stomp attack. The man froze for a second as Shizuma began to pull himself back to his feet, a grin stretching across his face as the young street fighter readied his fists once more.

"You're the first person to actually hit me today," Shizuma grinned, "and because of that, there's no way I'm holding back on you."

"Come on," the man signaled with the wave of his fingers.

Shizuma struck first this time, his legs pressing to the floor and launching him to the air after. His left foot took the lead as he plummeted back down toward his opponent's face. He struck nothing but the ground, finding his opponent's left leg coming at an angle after. Shizuma crouched to avoid the kick, returning to stance after with an uppercut with his right arm. His fist made contact with the man's chin, causing him to stagger a bit. Shizuma's left hand followed next, striking at the man's chest, followed by his right foot coming in contact with the man's abdomen. The man staggered a bit more, and after a few more hits, he began parrying. The two began exchanging blows from there, punches and kicks came in flurries, back and forth, striking air, arms, legs, bodies, anything that got caught in their path. Shizuma had to admit, this guy was good, he was no ordinary street thug, even he was starting to have some difficulty with him. A wide lunge from the man's right arm came suddenly, Shizuma's decided to take a risky maneuver, one he attempted on Keichiro Nagumo when the whole Solvania incident began. Shizuma quickly wrapped his arms around the man's attacking arm, pulling all him to the floor as Shizuma forced all of his weight down.

"Now whatcha gonna do, huh?" Shizuma said with his usual cocky grin over his face.

"This!" the man forced his left leg into Shizuma's stomach.

The grip Shizuma had on the man's arm suddenly loosened, freeing his opponent in the process. His face was suddenly turned to the side from an unknown force that planted itself against his right cheek, turning back when a second hit his left. Soon he found the wind cutting against his skin and the feel of wood slamming against his back. Cheers began to echo throughout the arena as Shizuma laid on his back against the arena's wall, they grew louder as a streak of scarlet began to slip from his mouth.

"Nagi, get up!" Sarah screamed. "Nagi!"

'Can't lose here,' Shizuma thought to himself, 'not now. This is all for my kid, all that yen is gonna be their's. It'll all go to my kid, not some street trash punk like this guy!'

"Hm, you can still stand?" Shizuma's opponent scoffed.

"I actually felt that one," Shizuma said as his arm wrapped around the oozing red crater in his arm. "Like I always say, no pain, no game, but playtime's over," Shizuma grinned as arms began to glow with red and orange.

"What's this?" the man began to step back.

Flames began to gather around the navy-haired street fighter, swirling before his feet and spiraling toward his fists. All those who had fought the mighty Shizuma Kusanagi remembered this attack well, it was one of his favorites.

"Houno-No-Tora!" Shizuma screamed as he fist pressed forward.

An stream of inferno suddenly shot from the street fighter's fist, spiraling toward his opponent. The man began to step back only to find a stream of fire before his feet. The flames began to move upward as they started to consume his feet, crawling up his legs and entire body. The man was engulfed in fire soon after, screaming from the burns he was receiving from his opponents attack. The inferno soon died, the man on the floor unconscious as clouds of smoke began to lift from his skin.

"Damn," Shizuma said as his fist barely caught his fall.

"Nice one, Nagi!" Sarah cheered.

Shortly after, Shizuma found himself and Sarah in the back of the arena, collecting Shizuma's earnings that he won that day.

'It's all going to a good cause,' Shizuma thought to himself, 'I dunno why Ryoko told me not to do this anymore. I know she'll worry and stuff, but it's not like I'm really going to get hurt, besides, this is the best way for me to earn some cash for our kid.'

"Here you go, kid," the owner of the arena slipped five stacks of bills into Shizuma's hand.

"We'll see you soon," Sarah told the owner as she and Shizuma began to leave the arena.

"That was a great fight, kid," the two suddenly found themselves greeted by Shizuma's opponent once the left the owner's office.

"You want something?" Shizuma asked impatiently. "Look dude, I got places to go, so if you'll just get out of my way...," Shizuma and Sarah began to make their way passed the man.

"You wanna make more money?" the man's voice suddenly froze the two in place.

"What'd you say?" Shizuma turned back to his former opponent.

"I know a great place that pays a lot more than this place," the man continued. "What you got in your hand right there is only a sen compared to what this place pays you."

"I'm listening," Shizuma turned back to the man.

"One fight can pay you at least 90,000 yen, that's how much you got in total for all your fights today, right?" the man continued.

"Nagi's not really interested in money," Sarah told the man, "he's not your typical greedy..."

"So where's this place at?" Shizuma asked.

"It's at the docks, warehouse number seventy-six," the man answered. "The fights start at midnight and last until five in the morning. Just knock on the entrance and tell them my name. My name is Hiroyuki Watanabe, tell the guy at the door my name and he'll let you in."

"All right, thanks," Shizuma nodded at the man.

"See ya then," Hiroyuki said with a nod and began making his way out of the arena.

"Nagi, why did you...?" Sarah looked at her idol confused.

"I have my reasons, Sarah," Shizuma answered.

School had just ended at Daimon High, Ryoko, Hitomi, nor Daisaku caught a glimpse of Shizuma that day.

"I guess he was sick or something," Ryoko said as she walked out of the campus with her friends.

"It's all right, Ryoko," Hitomi began to console her, "I'm sure that's it. Maybe he'll call you later today."

"Yeah, that must be it," Daisaku agreed.

Suddenly a large metal object suddenly stopped before the three. Hitomi yelped as soon as the motorcycle stopped right in front of her and a sneer began to stretch across Ryoko's face.

'Who does this guy think he is?!' Ryoko asked herself as she began to clench a fist. 'If I still had my sword here, I'd show him or two. What the heck am I talking about, I've got my fist, I'll plant right on his...!'

"Hey beautiful, need a ride?" the biker lifted off his helmet.

"Shizuma!" a smile stretched across the samurai girl's face.

"Hop on," Shizuma pointed to the seat in the back. "You guys need a ride too?" Shizuma asked the others as he pointed to the motorcycle's side car.

"Sure, I'd like a ri...," Daisaku suddenly found his mouth cover by Hitomi's palm.

"That's all right, we'll walk home," Hitomi told Shizuma.

"All right, see ya guys later," Shizuma said between the revs of his bike.

"Later!" Ryoko waved as she suddenly found herself whizzing down the road on Shizuma's bike. "Shizuma, why weren't you in school today?" Ryoko asked as they continued toward her house.

"I had a pretty bad stomach ache," Shizuma answered, lying about his true whereabouts that day.

"Oh, I see," Ryoko said as she tightened her hold on the street fighter's waist.

It wasn't long when they arrived at Ryoko's house. Madoka was already home, and it would be a pretty bad idea to invite Shizuma in after what happened yesterday.

"Thanks for the ride," Ryoko said as she slipped off the bike.

"Anytime," Shizuma winked as he removed his helmet.

"So will you be at school tomorrow?" Ryoko asked as Shizuma rose from his bike.

"Yeah," he assured her.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," Ryoko said as she placed her lips on Shizuma's.

Just as she began to pull away, she found his arms suddenly wrapped around her waist. There was a pretty small chance that Madoka would come outside so Ryoko decided to indulge. Her arms drifted toward his shoulders, her hands groping against them ever so slowly, sliding against his smooth skin. Shizuma's left hand began to creep up her neck, nestling in a spot on her cheek. Her arms began drifting downward, his skin becoming smoother until she suddenly found a rough spot that made Shizuma flinch.

"Shizuma...," Ryoko's lips suddenly parted from his.

"What is it?" he asked, his lips now finding her cheek.

"What happened to your arm?" she pointed out his wound.

"Oh this?" Shizuma turned his attention to his arm.

The wound was still somewhat fresh, the bleeding had stopped, but dried blood was still etched on his arm. A scab had taken the crater's place, but the skin surrounding the scab was black and blue.

"I fell off my bike while I was heading over to the school to pick you up," he lied.

"Really, are you okay?" Ryoko asked, concerned. "Let me get you inside and..."

"No, that's okay," Shizuma told her. "I'll be all right, it's nothing big, really. Besides, if your aunt saw me walk through that door, she'd probably put things like this all over my body."

"That's true," Ryoko chuckled.

"Oh, and, um, here's some more cash," Shizuma handed her his winnings for the day.

"Thank you," Ryoko said as she pocketed the bills.

She placed her lips on his again, only this time Ryoko and Shizuma had found themselves frozen.

"Another emergency," Madoka slammed the door open suddenly, "man, this has just been a bad...," her eyes suddenly found her niece and the young street fighter she threw out yesterday.

'Oh man, not again...,' Shizuma thought to himself.

"GET OFF HER YOU HORNDOG!!!!" Madoka screamed as Shizuma quickly hopped on his bike.

"LATER!!!!!!" Shizuma's voice echoed down the street as his bike jetted down the road.

"Get back here you punk!" Madoka yelled as she began chasing down to street fighter.

"Aunt Madoka, can't you just let it go?" Ryoko sighed.

Before Ryoko went inside, she recalled the mark on Shizuma's arm earlier. He must've had a pretty bad fall to get an injury like that one, but why wasn't the rest of his body cut? Ryoko began to ponder about this for a few moments, but then she decided to shrug it off and go inside.

'He's hiding something,' Ryoko thought to herself, 'I know it...'

  
  


Author's Note: Uh oh, looks like she's getting suspicious... Well, how was it, why not leave me a review, and as usual no flames. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible, but there's so much stuff I have to do right now, finals are coming up soon so I need to study. I guess that's it then, later.


	8. Truth and Lies

Author's note: Sorry for the delay, school's been getting in the way of things lately. Anyway, in this chapter we have some more action. So far Azumi Kiribyashi hasn't been in this fic for a while, so we'll give her a bit of screen time in this chapter. Well then, let's get to the story now.

  
  


Chapter 7: Truths and Lies

  
  


The docks were deserted that evening, there wasn't a sign of life anywhere. Winds whistled as the waves crashed against the harbor, carrying small clouds of dust and leaves with them. The entire area was dark, not a flicker of light; even the glimmer of the stars could not be seen. A loud revving noise soon echoed in the area, and a beam of light appeared from the road. It was Shizuma Kusanagi, riding on his motorcycle, and in the side car was his loyal follower and admirer, Sarah.

"Nagi, are you sure this is the place?" Sarah asked as the street fighter got off his bike. "There doesn't seem to be anyone around."

"I'm sure this is it, warehouse number twenty-six," Shizuma approached the closest building.

Sure enough, there was a loud rumbling coming from inside the structure. There was a lot of cheering going on from inside, as well as cries and a few swear words between the cheers. This was the place all right. Shizuma walked over to the warehouse's entrance after. The door leading inside was barely hinged to the building, only one screw held it in place. The window on it was filled with a web of cracks, and sure enough, you could see what was going on inside through the door, well, part of what was going on anyway.

"You want something?" a pair of raven black eyes soon filled the window.

"I'm here to fight," Shizuma answered, "a guy named Hiroyuki Watanabe told me about this place."

"All right, come on in," the door swung open.

Shizuma took little time to enter the new arena. This place was completely different from Ikeburo, there were no benches for the spectators to sit on, only large crates. The crates didn't look very sturdy either, most of them looked like there were going to break in any second. The walls of the warehouse were painted with grim and dry blood, the floors were covered in dirt and broken teeth. The noise inside was much louder than it was outside, it was as loud as having your ear right next to an airplane engine. This place scared Sarah, she was too afraid to even watch the fight that was going on in the center of the area.

"Hey kid, you made it," a familiar voice echoed from the side.

"So when can I get into a match huh?" Shizuma asked his former opponent. "I wanna get this over with quick, this place is too intimidating for my friend here," Shizuma pointed to Sarah as she clung onto his arm.

"All right, I'll put you in the next fight," Hiroyuki told Shizuma, "in the meantime, come with me."

Hiroyuki lead Shizuma to the office in the building. It was totally different from the arena outside. The walls were a milky white color, the floor was carpeted, and there were several chairs in the room. There was a desk at the north end of the office, it had Hiroyuki's name on it, along with three piles of papers that were neatly stacked.

"Take a seat," Hiroyuki ordered Shizuma. "Take this, kid," the man handed Shizuma a picture-less ID card, "just show the guy at the door this card if you ever want to get back in here. You might also want to put an old picture on there if you want to use this as some kind of fake ID."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," Shizuma said as he pocketed the card.

"Hiroyuki," a man suddenly entered the office, "the winner of the match has been decided. Kaun was the winner of the match and right now we don't have anyone in the crowd who's willing to fight him, what should we do?"

"I got someone in here who's been looking for a fight," Hiroyuki pointed to Shizuma.

"This kid, I dunno, boss, he looks pretty scrawny to me," the man said after taking a glance of Shizuma.

"Scrawny?!" Shizuma shot up from his chair. "I'll have you know I'm the number one undefeated fighter of Ikeburo! I dare ya to call me scrawny again!"

"Whatever, kid, just get out there," the man sighed.

Meanwhile, outside in the docking area, another beam of light entered the area. Accompanied by this light was not a motorcycle, but a car. Inside this car was another top fighter, though her title was only known in Daimon High. It was Azumi Kiribyashi who occupied the vehicle, along with her new driver.

"Oh bother, I told you that you should've made a right on the street light five minutes ago!" Azumi yelled at her driver.

"I'm sorry, Miss Kiribyashi, I'll get you home before curfew, I promise," the driver said nervously.

"Curfew was two hours ago, it's already midnight, do you know how much trouble I'll be in once I get home!" Azumi yelled once more.

"I'm sorry, I'll get you home as soon as possible. Don't worry, I've got a map, see," the driver nervously took out a folded piece of paper from the glove box. "Let's see, we turned right here," the driver began recalling their steps, "and then we went straight down here, no wait, did we make a right, I thought it was a left..."

"I'm going to take a walk around, okay?" Azumi sighed as she left the car.

Azumi was pretty ticked off, she wasn't one to get mad very easily, but this new driver just frustrated her. The man was incompetent, he had no sense of direction whatsoever. If Azumi had her license, she could easily drive herself home no problem, but unfortunately, this area was strange to her. Just walking down these docks began to cool her off a bit, but that anger was really slowly melting into fear. It was rather scary to wander down a dark area like this, even a small flicker of light from the stars would ease her fears. Her steps became slower as she drifted further into the darkness, her arms slowly wrapped around chest, rubbing a sudden chill climbing up her body. As she wandered further, a small chatter began to echo in her ear. The chatter grew louder with her next step, growing louder once more as she took another. It was coming from a structure just a few feet in front of her. Where there's noise, there has to be people, Azumi was sure that whoever was in that warehouse would know where she was, and she would be able to get directions home from one of those guys in there as well.

"Hello?" Azumi knocked at the entrance of the building. "Is anyone there?"

"You want something?" a pair of dark eyes suddenly filled the doorway.

"Ah!" Azumi jumped a bit after catching a glimpse of the man behind it. "I'm sorry to trouble you sir, but I'm lost and..."

"This isn't a place for little girls!" the man spat and walked away from the door way after.

"Hey, I was just going to ask for directions," Azumi called to the man, "come on, it's not that difficult to tell me where I am, is it?! Sheesh, what bad manners...," Azumi mumbled as she left the doorway. "Hm," her eyes drifted to the side after to catch a glimpse of a red motorcycle. "Doesn't this bike belong to Shizuma Kusanagi?" Azumi asked herself as her eyes drifted along the machine. "It does," Azumi concluded a second later, "so he must be inside that building or something."

Azumi hurried back to the warehouse door after, knocking on the nearly unhinged lumber repeatedly. Much to her disgust, those same black eyes greeted her from the other side of the doorway.

"Now what do you want?" the man on the other side asked.

"Is Shizuma Kusanagi in there?" Azumi asked. "I'd like to ask him something."

"There's no one in here by that name," the man answered rudely, "now get out of here and don't let me see your face again or I'll throw you into the ocean!"

"Hey, I don't deserve to be spoken to that way!" Azumi yelled at the man. "Just what is your problem, Mister!"

"Get lost, melon tits!" the man mumbled as he walked away from the door.

"Melon tits!" Azumi stomped. "Why that stupid...!"

"OOOHHHH!!!!!" the chatter echoed from inside.

"Just what is going on in there?" Azumi asked herself.

She peaked in through the window, but she could see nothing but the backs of individuals and a few crates. From what she could see from the interior, it didn't look very well kept. She could hear thuds and cracks coming from inside between the cheers of it's occupants. Curiosity was getting the best of her, she had to know what was going on in there. She couldn't just go through the front door, that man seemed like he was one to keep his word by throwing her into the ocean and Azumi was definitely not up for a swim that evening. She turned to the side of the building, and sure enough, there was a stack of crates that were piled against the window, that would be the best bet to find out what was going on in there. Azumi took little time to start climbing, climbing those boxes was no problem for the current K-Fight champion. Before she knew it, she was at the top of the mountain of boxes. The window was fairly dusty, but she was still able to see what was going on from the other side.

"Akai Kiba!" a familiar battle cry echoed from within.

"That voice,' Azumi thought to herself, 'that's Shizuma Kusanagi all right."

And sure enough, it was Shizuma. The street fighter came into full view a second later, is fist planted against the cheek of another man. His foot struck against his opponent's abdomen after, followed by several more punches. The man fell to the floor, his face floating in a puddle of ruby and his body black and blue all over. He didn't seem to be in the best condition, and neither was Shizuma. Cuts were all over his arms and clothing, his hairy was even more mussy than usual. There were a few scarlet rivers traveling down his face, something Azumi had never seen on Shizuma before. From what she's seen before, nobody was ever able to make Shizuma bleed, not even Ryoko when the two fought numerous times for the K-Fight championship.

'What are you up to, Mr. Kusanagi?' Azumi asked herself.

Just as she had thought her words, fingers had suddenly clutched her shoulder. Azumi froze for a mere second, only to break out of it by curling her fingers into a fist. Without even hesitating, Azumi planted the back of her fist against what was supposed to be the assailant's face.

"OW!" the person behind her screamed.

It wasn't the same voice that told her to get out of the area, it was the voice of her driver. Azumi quickly turned around to find her servant with both of his hands over his nose, and few tears traveling down his cheeks.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," Azumi apologized.

"It's okay, Miss Kiribyashi," the driver assured with his hands still over his nose, "I found a way home."

"All right then, let's go," Azumi told her driver.

The driver was the first to leave the mountain of crates, Azumi followed behind closely. As soon as she sat in the car, her eyes drifted back to the warehouse.

"Mr. Kusanagi, why do I have a feeling that what had seen tonight is something I shouldn't have?"

  
  


"I can never get used to this," Ryoko told herself.

As usual, Ryoko was standing over the toilet hunched over. Morning sickness always greeted her other than the sun whenever she woke up now, she still hadn't gotten used to it. It was Saturday, which meant it would be a half day at school luckily.

"Ryoko, are you okay?" Madoka asked on the other side of the door.

"Yeah," Ryoko answered, "I think I'm done."

'Damn that boy, Shizuma,' Madoka thought to herself, 'it's his fault my Ryoko's in this in the first place! If the two of them hadn't been drinking that evening then...!'

"Um, Aunt Madoka," Ryoko tapped her on the shoulder, "why are you getting angry all of a sudden?"

"Huh, oh, it's nothing," Madoka quickly put on her best smile. "Have a good day," Madoka called as her niece left the doorway.

The day went by as it usually did, the bell had just barely rung when Ryoko got to her first period class. Ever since retiring from her K-Fight career, Ryoko decided to focus more on her studies, well, at least she tried to. It was always hard for her to pay attention in class, in fact, she found herself falling asleep in at least one of her classes each day. Lunch was probably the only time she would be wide awake, after all, that's when she was able to hang out with her friends.

"Ryoko, wake up, Ryoko," Hitomi nudged her friend as her face lay on the desk.

"Huh?" Ryoko yawned. "Is it lunch already?"

"You fell asleep again, Ryoko," Hitomi pointed out, "this is the third time this week I've found you asleep at your desk."

"I can't help it," Ryoko told Hitomi as the two walked out the door, "the teacher's just so boring."

"I know, but still...," Hitomi tried to lecture only to be interrupted by a sudden rhonchus.

The two looked into the room to the left of them. In the center of that room was Shizuma, his head planted on his desk and arms folded underneath.

"Shizuma," Ryoko approached the sleeping street fighter, "wake up."

"Zzz...," the navy-haired fighter snored.

"He was like this in Geometry too," Hitomi pointed out, "he didn't even get up when the bell rang."

"He must've had a long night at work," Ryoko concluded.

She planted her eyes on the image of her child's father. He looked so calm and relaxed as he slept there, almost like a child, minus the loud snoring of course. Ryoko couldn't help but smile at the sight of her boyfriend, perhaps their child would probably grow up to be like him. Her arms soon wrapped around the street fighter, her cheek nestling against his for a second, sliding it to the side so that her lips could be placed on his face.

"Sleep well," Ryoko whispered into his ear.

Just as she began to leave the room, her eyes drifted toward his arms. A bandage was wrapped around the wound he had from falling off his bike yesterday, but there was something strange. There were more bandages wrapped around his arm, some on his other arm as well.

"Ryoko, what is it?" Hitomi asked her friend as she returned to Shizuma's side.

Upon closer inspection, there were more bandages wrapped around the street fighter's body, she could even see some on his chest through the collar of his shirt. Scratches were also abundant on his arms, and there was even some dry blood on his new bandages. There's no way he could've gotten all these from work, is there?

"Huh?" Shizuma yawned. "Hm, oh hey, beautiful," Shizuma greeted the samurai girl.

"Hey yourself," Ryoko said with her arms crossed.

"Uh oh, I know that tone of voice," Shizuma said as he pushed himself out of his seat, "something's going on, isn't it?"

"Shizuma, just how did you get those wounds?" Ryoko asked in a demanding voice.

"I told you, I got them from falling off my bike yesterday," Shizuma explained.

"All of them? Shizuma, you only had one cut when you picked me up from school yesterday," Ryoko pointed out.

"I got the rest of these from work," Shizuma quickly thought of an excuse.

"And just how did that happen?" Ryoko asked almost yelling.

"I was piling some crates up like a tower and I fell off from the top," Shizuma lied.

"Don't lie to me!" Ryoko ordered. "You were out fighting, weren't you?! How else could you have gotten those cuts all over your body, I seriously doubt that you would be able to get all those wounds just from falling down!"

"You can call my supervisor," Shizuma pulled out the ID he received yesterday, "he was there when it happened."

"Give me that!" Ryoko swiped the card from Shizuma's hand. "Warehouse number twenty-six," Ryoko read from the card, "I'm going to call them up and see if you're lying about this to me!"

"By all means, go ahead," Shizuma said.

"You can eat lunch by yourself today, you jerk!" Ryoko yelled before she stomped out of the room.

"Wait, Ryoko!" Hitomi chased after her friend.

"...I'm sorry, Ryoko," Shizuma apologized seconds later, "but I did lie. There's no other way I can make a living for our child."

  
  


The first thing Ryoko did as soon as she got out of the building was find a pay phone. Luckily there was one just outside in the quad area. Without wasting anytime, Ryoko placed her one hundred yen into the phone and began dialing the number on Shizuma's ID. The phone rang immediately after she punched in the number, and it took about two rings until someone picked up.

"Hello?" a man on the other end answered.

"May I speak to Hiroyuki Watanabe please?" Ryoko asked as she read the supervisor's name off the ID card.

"This is him," the man on the other line answered.

"Hi, I'm just calling to clarify that one of your workers, Shizuma Kusanagi, had an accident last night when he was at work," Ryoko told the man.

"Oh yeah, the blue-haired kid. Yeah, he fell off some boxes the other night, he got cut up pretty bad from the fall unfortunately. So is he doing well?"

"Yeah, he's fine," Ryoko answered, relieved. "Well, thanks for your time," Ryoko hung up soon after.

"Well, was he lying?" Hitomi asked after.

"No, he was telling the truth," Ryoko answered.

  
  


Shizuma was walking down the halls toward the cafeteria now. His eyes were locked to the floor, drifting toward each speck he could find. The floor wasn't interesting to look at, it's just that the weight of Shizuma's thoughts were getting to him. He felt bad about breaking his promise to Ryoko, but he felt even worse breaking his promise to her. But what else could he do, he didn't know any other way to make any descent cash. He was a high school student, the only jobs he could get were being a cashier at some restaurant or store, where's the money in that? He couldn't ask his sister for money, a teacher's salary can just barely pay the rent for the two of them. Heck, he didn't even tell his sister, Tomoe, about what happened between Ryoko and him that evening.

"Mr. Kusanagi," a voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Huh, what do you want, Azumi?" Shizuma asked.

It was weird that the current K-Fight champion wanted to talk with him. The two of them never really spoke to each other. The only really spoke once and a while, but the conversations usually ended up going nowhere. Most of the time when they did talk, it was during a K-Fight, but even those were rare between the two.

"There's something I wish to discuss with you, Mr. Kusanagi," Azumi told Shizuma.

"Look, if you want to challenge me to a K-Fight then I gotta refuse," Shizuma began to turn his back on her.

"It's not that, Mr. Kusanagi," Azumi replied, "it's about what you were doing at the docks last night."

"You were there?" Shizuma asked.

"I saw what happened there last night," Azumi told Shizuma, "you were fighting with a man. I don't know the details, but I know you were in some kind of street fight. If I can recall, didn't you tell Miss Mitsurugi that you would stop fighting for the sake of your child?"

"Just how do you know about that?!" Shizuma asked, practically yelling.

"I told her," Daisaku suddenly appeared.

"I keep my tabs on the former K-Fight champion through Daisaku," Azumi explained.

"And why are you confronting me about this, Princess?" Shizuma spat. "You gonna blackmail me or something?"

"As much as I dislike the former champion, I would appreciate it if you kept your word," Azumi told Shizuma.

"I would keep my word, but there's no way to make descent money for students, you know," Shizuma explained.

"True, but aren't you worried that something may happen to you before that child is born?" Azumi asked.

"Nothing'll happen to me!" Shizuma boasted. "I'm the invincible Shizuma Kusanagi, the strongest man in the world!"

"If you are invincible, then why did you lose to Nagumo a while back?" Azumi asked.

"That didn't count, he was able to use Solvania's powers whenever he please, so that wasn't a fair fight," Shizuma defended himself.

"Just stop fighting for your girlfriend's sake," Azumi ordered once more.

"You can't make me."

"I can tell her what you've been doing."

"Don't get caught up in my affairs, rich girl!" Shizuma spat.

"I'll get caught up in your affairs if I wish to do so," Azumi sneered, "and if my threats still aren't enough, then I'll have to be the one to send you into your retirement."

"Azumi Kiribyashi-senpai, Mr. Shizuma, please stop this," Daisaku began pleading.

"Bring it on, Princess," Shizuma taunted, ignoring Daisaku. "I'll kick your ass, keep your mouth shut, and steal that K-Fight championship away from you."

"Oh really?" Azumi said as she drew her naginata. "In that case, let's take this to the ring!"

'I better tell Miss Ryoko about this...," Daisaku thought to himself as he began tip-toeing out of the area.

"Don't you dare tell Ryoko about this!" Shizuma snarled at her loyal follower.

"You're coming with us!" Azumi grabbed him by the collar.

  
  


Author's Note: I guess I'll leave at that for now. So how was it, it felt kinda slow to me, but eh, whatever. So why don't you leave me a review, and as usual, no flames (the more positive reviews, the faster I'll update). I promise I'll make the Shizuma and Azumi fight pretty good for the next chapter. I couldn't fit the fight in this chapter because I plan on making it pretty long, longer than Shizuma's fight with Hiroyuki. So in the meantime, this is it, later people.


	9. Broken Promises

Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait, my schedule's been really busy lately. Well, I hope you find this chapter worth the wait, so without further ado, I give you the latest chapter of 'Between Love and Lust.'

  
  


Chapter 8: Broken Promises

  
  


"Attention all students!" the voice of Tamaki, the K-Fight ring announcer, suddenly echoed throughout the entire school. "A challenge has just been issued to our K-Fight champion, Azumi Kiribyashi!"

"Oh great," Ryoko sighed after hearing the announcement, "here we go again."

The announcement of a K-Fight never seemed to interest Ryoko, even when she was still champion. She had got used to Tamaki's voice over the intercom now, it no longer mattered who was fighting who, all she knew was that it was an announcement for a pointless battle between two students over something so stupid; the title of K-Fight Champion. Ryoko never cared for the championship when she still fought, but now that she had retired, it actually meant quite a bit to her. The championship was what people recognized her for; the red-haired samurai girl that everyone looked up to. Ryoko never realized until now that she enjoyed the attention, she liked how the other students looked up to her, but now that was all gone. It didn't matter though, the attention she had from Shizuma as of lately definitely made up for that.

"And what a treat we have for our fight today, ladies and gentlemen!" Tamaki continued. "Today's challenger was the first K-Fight champion this year, only to lose later to a certain samurai girl."

"What?!" the announcement suddenly caught Ryoko's ear.

"That's right, ladies and gentlemen, after leaving the ring for what seemed like an eternity, we have the return of the navy-haired street fighter, Shizuma Kusanagi!"

"Shizuma?!"

  
  


"Are you sure you're willing to go through with this?" Azumi asked as she tightened the rose-colored guards on her wrists.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Shizuma grinned.

"Mr. Shizuma, this isn't a good idea," Daisaku pleaded from outside the ring. "Miss Ryoko will find out and then..."

"Put a sock in it, Daisaku!" Shizuma ordered with the crack of his knuckles. "Besides, Ryoko never listens to those K-fight announcements anymore, so she'll never know."

"You talk as if you don't care about Miss Mitsurugi's feelings, Mr. Kusanagi," Azumi butted in.

"Mind your own business, Princess!" Shizuma spat. "Of course I care about Ryoko's feelings, why else am I supporting her and our kid?!"

"If you wish to support them then you'll stop this fight before it's begun."

"You're really gonna get it now, Rich Girl!"

  
  


"Ryoko, Ryoko!" Hitomi found herself running toward the school's plaza.

Hitomi had heard the announcement as well, shortly after she left Ryoko after making that phone call to his work. She was in the cafeteria when it all happened, she could practically taste today's lunch special, fried eggs with a side of prawns, it was practically within her grasp. It was her turn to receive the meal when suddenly the phrase "only to lose to a certain samurai girl" caught her ear. Without wasting another moment, she found herself dashing around the school grounds searching for her best friend.

  
  


"Shizuma, you stupid red monkey, just what were you thinking?!" Ryoko bit her lip as she dashed toward the arena.

"Ryoko!" the voice of Hitomi suddenly caught her ear, bringing her to a halt.

"What is it, Hitomi?" Ryoko asked.

"It's Shizuma," Hitomi answered between breaths, "he's..."

"I know," Ryoko nodded. "We can't waste anytime, the fight's probably already started, we have to get there now!" she began making her way to the arena once more without wasting a another second.

  
  


A loud clang flooded the entire K-Fight area, the match had begun. The mighty Shizuma Kusanagi decided he would be the one to begin this match using his usual initiative strike.

"Hyah!" the street fighter cried as he quickly leapt into the air, sending his right foot forward as he plummeted back down.

The young warrior's foot met with the guard of the naginata master, cracking it upon impact. Azumi simply brushed it off as she took both hands onto her wooden spear, pulling the non-bladed side back as she pushed the other end forward. The oak slab met with Shizuma's wrist just as his right fist launched forward. A smirk fell upon Azumi's face as her opponent punched, his movements seemed to have been slower due to the injuries that were inflicted upon him the other night. A flash of raven black was all that Shizuma could see before his very eyes after his fist connected with the air. The flash was making it's way to the side, swirling behind him. Shizuma realized what his opponent was up to, readying his fists to strike behind him, only by the time he had done so, it was too late. A sharp pain suddenly shot itself onto Shizuma's chin, the force from the attack had caused him to stagger. Another shot was dealt soon after, this one striking his abdomen, and then a third hit fell upon his shoulder. The street fighter couldn't fight back at the moment, his only objective was to get away.

"The wounds from last night are taking their toll on you, aren't they Mr. Kusanagi?" Azumi taunted with that trademark smirk on her face.

"I told you to mind your own business, Baboon Boobs!" Shizuma spat, gripping the newly opened wound on his bicep.

"Well that was uncalled for," the naginata master sighed.

The street fighter and the spear woman charged once more, their feet digging into the mat with all their might. The wooden blade struck first this time, plunging toward it's last target on Shizuma's torso. A grin stretched across Shizuma's face as he witnessed the attack, pushing his left palm forward as his right followed closely. His left hand quickly closed on the pole, a few inches below the blade. With a quick bend of his neck, the naginata's blade barely skidded across the thug's hair, coming to halt an inch later. Azumi was shocked to find out that her attack had missed. The gap in her mouth widened a second later when she found something suddenly pushing against her stomach, the very force made her grip around her spear loosen. Another force met with her body a moment later, this one met with the bottom of her chin, pushing her feet a few inches back. A third strike soon followed, again in the abdomen, but this strike pushed the young naginata master against one of the ring's poles.

"I guess I've underestimated you, Mr. Kusanagi," a weak smile perched upon Azumi's face.

"This fight's only gotten started, so come on!" Shizuma readied his fists once more.

  
  


"Move it, get out of the way!" Ryoko began pushing through the fight's spectators.

It had been a while since Ryoko entered the auditorium, the sights and sounds of the arena brought back memories. Pushing through the hordes of students was not one of them however, back then she would always enter through the red carpets of the ring, not having to deal with any of the spectators' cheering and the such. The arena was more noisy than how she remembered, and not as crowded; this must be because this is the first time she was just another audience member of a K-Fight.

Ryoko had finally came to a point where she could see the monitor displaying the fight. Before her eyes she saw Shizuma and her long-time rival locked in the heat of battle.

"Shizuma!" she screamed his name.

  
  


A crack filled the ring as the wooden spear met with Shizuma's leg, the street fighter only smirked as he ignored the pain of the latest blow. The other leg pushed forward again, leaping upward as it missed Azumi's shoulder. It plummeted back down a second later, striking the side of her neck. Just like her opponent, Azumi ignored the pain of Shizuma's axe kick, but she also thought of a way to counter his latest attack. With a quick spin of her weapon, the pole met with Shizuma's remaining leg, sending the navy-haired warrior to the mat's floor. Pain shot through Shizuma's body once again, it was worse than usual thanks to that fight he had the other night. A flash of light brown met with Shizuma's eye a second later, only to have it disappear as he pushed his weight onto his right shoulder. The naginata barely missed him, this was perhaps the longest and most difficult battle Azumi had fought so far in her entire K-Fight career. Shizuma returned to his feet soon after, his left fist planted against the mat as his other raised to his chest level. Azumi readied her stance as well, the middle and ring fingers of her right hand taking hold of her weapon as her left arm bent back with her left hand taking hold of the non-bladed end of the spear.

"You're better than I thought, I'll give you that," Shizuma panted.

"I can say the same about you," Azumi smiled, "although I have to say, you're probably the most difficult opponent I've had thus far."

"I thought we were here to fight, not gossip over one another," Shizuma grinned.

"You're right," Azumi nodded, "so now, let this duel come to an end."

"That's more like it!" the entire area began to illuminate in a red-orange shade.

  
  


"Almost there...," Ryoko finds the ring almost in reach.

"Uh oh, this doesn't look good for our champion, folks," Tamaki's voice suddenly stopped the samurai girl, "our favorite street fighter seems to be preparing for one of his favorite attacks!"

"What?! No, Shizuma!"

  
  


"Fire is said to be the power that kept Man alive for so long," Azumi dictates as the flames around Shizuma grow brighter, "but water is what keeps nature alive for so long. Mr. Kusanagi, I will be the water that will douse you're flame!"

"You talk too much, you know that?" Shizuma responds.

"Kyah!" the beautiful warrior screamed as she charged once more.

"Akai Kiba!" the street fighter yelled as the flames burn around his fists.

Another crack fills the area, this time it's the sound of wood snapping. With disbelief in her eyes, Azumi watches as her weapon now finds itself broken in half in her hands. Another smile stretches across Shizuma's face as his hand glow brighter with red. Azumi's torso suddenly begins to burn as a force suddenly presses against it. The power of the Akai Kiba, Azumi had heard tales of the attack before from other K-Fight participants that had fought with Shizuma Kusanagi, she had never realized it's awesome power until now. Another punch followed, this one searing her cheek as it pounded against her face. The arena suddenly began moving before Azumi's eyes, all of it seemed to be shifting upward. Her eyes now met with the auditorium's ceiling, and her back was now pressed up against a hard surface. Things were beginning to blur, she knew that she had been defeated. A flash of blue suddenly entered her vision, growing as the feel against her back began to vanish.

"One more thing," Shizuma spoke as he held Azumi by the collar. "This is for pissing off Ryoko all those times!" Shizuma closed his fist once more.

"Shizuma!" his name suddenly screamed in his ears.

The sneer on his face quickly melted at the sound of her voice, his thumb freeing the rest of his fingers as it did so. His head began to swerve toward the source, slowly he saw the faces of the spectators before him. All of them, they all looked the same, except one, which stood out before the rest. Red hair, violet eyes, fair skin, there was no way Shizuma could miss this face.

"Ryoko...?" he barely called her name.

"Please, stop it, Shizuma...," translucent rivers began falling from her eyes, "you've had enough. What about your promise?"

"My promise...," Shizuma turned to the mat below.

The promise, his word never to fight anymore. Fighting, it was what made the mighty Shizuma Kusanagi feel alive, it was the only thing he thought he was good at. Never to fight again means destroying the only income he had for Ryoko and his child. Fighting was always an important aspect to Shizuma, could it be possible for him to stop?

'Maybe for her,' he thought to himself.

His fingers slowly began to relax, releasing their hold on the collar of his opponent. Azumi's back met with the mat once more, just as the street fighter rose to his feet once more.

"You can keep your damn championship," Shizuma said, "it's nothing compared to being the champion of someone's heart."

"Shizuma...?" Ryoko looked at him puzzled.

Pressing his feet against the mat with all his strength, Shizuma jumped out of the ring, landing beside the samurai girl. A small smile crept upon his face as he looked into her eyes, but it quickly melted away after seeing the rivers that were flooding down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "I just..."

"Shizuma, you jerk!" Ryoko cried. "How could you?! You promised me that..."

"I don't know what came over me," Shizuma explained, "I just..."

"You just what, Shizuma?!" Ryoko yelled. "You just had to break your promise, you just had to fight Azumi, you just had to make me worry like this?! Well, what is it?!"

"I..."

"Forget it, Shizuma!" Ryoko began to turn away. "You know what, you can fight all you want, I don't care anymore! If you don't want to take responsibility for our child, fine! I can take care of our child by myself!"

"Ryoko, please!" he took hold of her arm.

His touch was the last thing she wanted felt, the feeling just boiled Ryoko's anger. Her fingers curled for a moment, straightening once more as her arm swung forward. A loud smack filled the enter arena, the force of Ryoko's palm had broken the street fighter. It had broken something more than his cheek, it had broken his heart, and most of all, it had broken her heart.

More tears fell upon her face at the moment, followed by small whimpers that would put a dog to shame. The very same rivers began to crawl down Shizuma's face as well, he could not bear to see her like this. A scream filled the area moments later, just as the samurai girl turned away, not looking back, as she melded into the crowd of spectators once more.

  
  


Author's Note: Well, that was pretty sad, huh? We all knew that Ryoko would find out eventually, Shizuma would slip up sooner or later. Reviews are always welcome, but no flames or anything like that, okay? I hope this chapter was worth the wait, and I will try to update sooner with the next chapter, but we'll see how my schedule goes. Until then, later!


	10. He and I

Author's Note: Damn, has it been that long since I last updated? Sorry about the long wait guys, school's been getting in the way of a lot of stuff lately, and now that we're at war, things just keep getting even worse for me. But that's enough about my problems, I'm sure you all want to know what happens next so let's get back to where we left off about a month or so ago.

  
  


Chapter 9: He and I

  
  


"Damn him," Ryoko muttered for what seemed like the millionth time that day, "damn him. Damn him, damn him, damn him, DAMN HIM!" she suddenly yelled.

The everyone in the neighborhood jumped from the sudden scream, it was a cry that was nearly unheard of in Ryoko's neighborhood. A month ago, it was pretty common to hear the samurai girl's yelling a she accidentally hit some of her furniture with her wooden sword during training. That was pretty much the only time the neighborhood would hear Ryoko's yelling, but ever since she became pregnant, the neighborhood thought things would finally become peaceful.

"Damn him!" Ryoko yelled again, this time taking her dusty wooden sword into her hands. "Damn him!" the oak blade came down against the side of her dresser, creating a large dent upon impact along with a small web of cracks. "Damn him!" she swung once more, this time striking the contents on top of the dresser.

More swears continued to cry from the samurai girl's mouth, each of them growing louder than the last. She could see his face everywhere he swung; that stupid red monkey as she would normally call him, he broke a promise that meant so much to her. The visage of her teddy bear had been replaced with Shizuma's, the same happened when her vision turned to her bed's post. Each of these things got a good smack from Ryoko's wooden sword, denting the bed's post and knocking the button eyes off her stuffed bear. The events that happened today kept repeating itself over and over again in Ryoko's head.

She remembers running through the masses of students in the auditorium. The cheers that were once directed to her were now for the navy-haired street fighter and the President of the Flower Arrangement Club. She remembers running through the crowded seats, her feet constantly crushing the toes of another student with every step she took. She remembers eyes continually focused on the arena's big TV screens. Every punch thrown and every kick he made, her memory would not erase the image of Shizuma breaking his word. She then remembers when she finally came to the ring, the apology that Shizuma made. If he could not keep his promise, how could he even rightfully apologize for the pain he caused her. Pain, that was the only thing Shizuma knew about, and there was only way he could feel a fraction of hers. The sting of her palm meeting with his cheek, it hurt her more than it hurt him. The slap did nothing to hurt or hand, all it did was break her heart.

"Damn him!" she cried again, her swing becoming more powerful than the last. "Damn him! Damn him, damn him, damn him!"

She couldn't take it any longer, her strength had become spent. The tears were beginning to take control, they could no longer be held back. Sadness was an emotion that was nearly unheard of for the mighty samurai girl, yet here she is, once again succumbing to the tears.

"Shizuma, you idiot!" she cried. "Just what were you thinking?! Is that all you care about, fighting? You don't care about me at all, do you?! Is that it, you only care about what I'm holding inside me, aren't you?" she asked, her hand creeping over her somewhat swollen belly. "I don't care how you feel anymore, Shizuma. I can raise this child all by myself, you can keep fighting all you want. You can...," her voice began to break once more, "you can just stay out of my life!"

  
  


Tick, tock, tick, tock, that was the sound ringing through Shizuma's ears during the last hour. It had been a while since Shizuma had a bad day at school, the last one he had revolved around a certain cooking competition he wished he never interfered in. This was probably the worst day for Shizuma to be alive, this was probably the first time he truly felt sadness. Even when his parents moved overseas, Shizuma didn't cry, he knew he had his older sister, Tomoe, to look after him. Tomoe was always there for him, giving him money, giving him the attention he desired, she did everything for him. But even Tomoe couldn't help Shizuma out of this one, this is something he had to deal with.

"I'm home!" the door suddenly opened, taking Shizuma's attention away from the clock for a mere second. "Shizuma, I'm surprised you're still here," Tomoe's attention fell upon her brother a second later, "usually when I come home you're about to go out or something, but now..."

"Can you leave me alone for a moment, sis?" Shizuma asked, his eyes transfixed on the clock.

"Is something wrong, Shizuma?"

Tomoe had never seen her brother like this before, in fact, she never really saw him all that often around the house. It was always "I'm going out until midnight, don't wait up," or "I'll see ya in the morning," Shizuma wasn't one who really liked to stay at home for whatever reason. The two were close when they were younger, but now it was kind of like living with a stranger, a stranger you barely saw. Tomoe never really liked that kind of relationship, but it was best to have one like that in terms of her career, after all, it wouldn't be fun to have Shizuma hanging around the house with some friends over while she was trying to grade her fifth period's book reports.

"It's nothing," Shizuma answered, his voice muffled by his crossed arms as his head sunk even deeper into the kitchen table.

"Shizuma, something's wrong," Tomoe said, beginning to pull the chair across from her brother, "you're never like this."

"I said it's nothing," Shizuma sighed, turning his attention to the wall to the left of him.

It was never Shizuma's style to tell others what was on his mind. Well, maybe it was ever since that incident happened with her, but she was the only one he could share his thoughts with. It was like a bond between them, he didn't want to share it with anyone else.

"Shizuma, I can tell by the look in your eyes that..."

"I broke my promise to Ryoko, okay?!" Shizuma yelled.

That's it, he couldn't take it any longer, he couldn't hide his secret from his own sister anymore, he just couldn't hide it from anyone else for that matter. Shizuma was never one to succumb to his emotions, but now...

"Promise, what promise, Shizuma?" Tomoe asked concerned.

It was too late to go back now, he already mentioned the promise so he might as well tell her the whole story. A deep sigh began to fill his lungs and released it a second later. His eyes turned to his sister's for what seemed like an eternity. Shizuma and Tomoe never looked at each other eye-to-eye since their parents moved, it would be a big step for the two if they were to continue being brother and sister.

"Tomoe..., I," Shizuma began to explain, only to stop once a lump began to grow in his throat.

"You what, Shizuma?" Tomoe asked, leaning in closer to her brother. "What did you do? Is this something about you did at school, or...?"

"Ryoko's pregnant!" Shizuma yelled once more, kicking the side of the table after he spoke.

"Oh my God...," was the only way Tomoe could react. "Shizuma, you didn't..."

"It was an accident," Shizuma began to explain. "We were both so drunk after Daisaku's party a month ago that it just happened!" the tears began falling.

"And you never told me?" Tomoe began to get infuriated, but held it back remembering that her brother needed her ear at the moment.

"I'm sorry, sis," Shizuma said, burying his face into his palms, "I never wanted you to get in my affairs so I..."

"What about the promise?" Tomoe asked. "You said that you broke a promise to Ryoko."

"The promise...," Shizuma began to recall. "After I learned that Ryoko was pregnant, I promised her that I would stop fighting, but I didn't. I had to gain money to help support the baby so I continued. But today, I got into a fight at school that had nothing to do with money. I let my pride get the best of me, and now..."

"Shizuma, it's okay," Tomoe said, taking Shizuma's hand into hers. "We all break promises eventually, it just slips at times."

"How can you say that?!" Shizuma virtually yelled. "What I promised Ryoko was something..."

"Don't you remember when you were eight and I promised to take you to the fair?" Tomoe suddenly changed the subject.

"What does...?"

"Just answer the question, Shizuma!" Tomoe demanded.

"...Yeah, I remember," Shizuma recalled, "you didn't take me. You went to your friend's house instead for the day, you broke your promise."

"I made up for it, didn't I?" Tomoe reminded Shizuma.

"You did?"

"Yeah, I brought you to the movies two weeks later," Tomoe recalled.

"And then after that, you took me out to lunch," Shizuma added.

"What I'm trying to say, Shizuma, is that you should make up for breaking your promise to Ryoko," Tomoe explained.

"But how am I supposed to do that?" Shizuma asked. "It'll take more than a movie and lunch to make up for what I did."

"That's something you'll have to figure out, Shizuma," Tomoe answered as she began making her leave from the table.

"Sis," Shizuma called before she could leave.

"What?"

"Thank you."

  
  


Madoka was worried, ever since she came home her niece has been locked up in her own room. Every time she asked what was wrong, she'd always get some sort of nasty reply such as "go away!" or "leave me alone!"

"I bet it was that Shizuma-boy that did this to her," Madoka thought to herself as she opened her third can of beer for that evening. "That son of a bitch, the next time I see him I'll..."

Ryoko could hear her aunt's mumbles all the way up from her room. Her entire room was a wreck, everything had been smashed or dented at least once by her wooden sword. Even though it was about midnight, she still couldn't get the stupid red monkey out of her mind. She had been tossing an turning in her bed for hours, not able to gain a single wink of sleep. The image of Shizuma breaking his promise was still very fresh in her mind.

"Dammit...," Ryoko muttered.

Sleep wasn't going to get the street fighter out of her mind, she needed to do something else in order to get him out of her mind.

"Ryoko?" Madoka said surprised as soon as her niece opened the door to her room.

Her eyes were red, her hair was tangled, Ryoko just looked like a total mess. She never looked this bad, even after the toughest K-Fights she at least still had a smile on her face.

"Aunt Madoka," Ryoko barely called. "I'm going out for a bit, is that okay?"

"Yeah," Madoka nodded, "it's fine."

The city was as busy as usual despite how late it was. The constant echoing of chattering and car horns filled the air. The bright lights of the city would blind anyone who stared into them for five seconds or so. None of these things caught Ryoko's attention, instead, it focused on the ground. There was just too much on Ryoko's mind at the moment, everything around her just began to slowly die with ever step she took. The lights grew dimmer, the sounds became fainter, all the while, her thoughts on Shizuma were growing stronger. By the time she looked up, all the sights and sounds of the city were gone, and she was alone.

"I can't believe I wandered here," Ryoko said to herself realizing where she had arrived.

It was a place she knew all too well. The smell of pine, the smooth grass, and the splashes of the fountain, it was the park she and Shizuma had gone to a month ago after she gave him the news. Ryoko remembered that time clearly, she could practically see herself and Shizuma fighting over by the area close to the playground. She could still feel the wind gliding through her hair and body, the feel of her wooden sword nestled in her palms, but most of all, she remembers being with him. Ryoko could never remember feeling so alive back then, it felt like it happened oh so long ago. Whenever she thought of Shizuma not too long ago, her lips would always curl into a smile, and her heart would begin to race, but now, things were different. Her fists would curl just remembering his name, her teeth would clench if she could recall his smile, but now, standing here where it all began, Ryoko didn't know how to feel at the moment.

The playground, Ryoko recalled going there a lot when she was a lot younger, she and Hitomi used to be regulars at the swings. The two always went there when they were kids, it was the closest they would ever come to flying. It made them feel so free back then, but would it still do the same for her even now?

Ryoko's legs dangled even now as she sat on the swing, her toes barely touching the ground. Just sitting there began to take her back, back to a time she didn't have much worries in the world, a time where all she really had to care about was herself. Times were different now, there are so many things Ryoko has to care about now. Her education, her future career, her unborn child, all of these things she would never have dreamed about back then. Ryoko couldn't help but clench her fists against the chains of the swing when these things came to her head, she just wished they could all go away.

Crunch, the sound of one's footsteps began to enter Ryoko's ear. Crunch, the sound was coming closer. Crunch, crunch, crunch, the sound had stopped a few steps behind her. Ryoko could feel her heart beginning to race suddenly, her face was starting to burn as well. She knew who was behind her, but how to react to him, she didn't know.

"Hey," the person behind her said.

"Hey," Ryoko replied without turning.

The steps began coming closer once more, close enough that she can practically feel his body against her again, just like that night a month ago. Her fists began to close more tightly against the chains of her seat, and her teeth began to grind against each other once more. Her guest knew how she was feeling at the moment, the only thing he could do was...

"I'm sorry," he said, placing his palm over her fist.

"Hm?" her teeth began to loosen their hold on one another.

"I'm so sorry, Ryoko," he repeated, burrowing the temple of his head against the invisible wall before him.

"Why, Shizuma?" was all she could say, her eyes averted to the ground.

"It's because I want to support our baby," he answered.

"Because you...!" her fist began to tighten once more.

"It was the only way I could support you and the baby," he continued. "I never... did find a job at the docks, that was only a fake ID I used to try and fool you that I had an actual job there. The truth is... I did find a job, but it was one you would never recommend. I'm a fighter, Ryoko, I fought at a club at the docks for cash, that was how I was able to get the money for the baby."

"There are other ways to get money, Shizuma," Ryoko practically growled. "Fighting isn't the only..."

"That's not the whole truth," Shizuma admitted. "The truth is that I never felt alive unless I was in a fight. The only time I felt that my life ever existed was when I was in a fight. The feel of my fists or feet striking against my opponent or being struck myself, that was the only time I could feel my heart pacing. But that all changed a month ago, Ryoko. I never told you this, but when I first met you, there was something about you that made my heart race. I didn't even have to be in a fight with you, and all of a sudden my face would begin to burn. I thought it was just some kind of fluke or something, but after being with you for a whole, I finally realized what all that stuff was about. You see, Ryoko, the truth is that I... I love you."

"What?" her heart began to race once more.

"I love you, Ryoko Mitsurugi," Shizuma repeated, "more than you could ever know."

"Shizuma...," the tears began falling once more. "I... love you too."

"Ryoko..."

"Shizuma...,"

His hands began to glide down the chained links of her seat, finding their way to her shoulders. Her head began to slide downward, stopping at the base of her neck, his nose nestling against her cheek. Her hand slowly began to unwind from their grasp on the chains, finding their way ever so slowly to the palm of her lover. Slowly her head began to turn, her eyes finally meeting with his after an eternity. Her lips began to quiver at the sight of his turquoise pupils, her entire body was burning, it was a fire she could never put out. Those violet orbs, they looked so tranquil, so delicate. Her skin, so soft and silky, it reflected the moon's light perfectly. Her lips were quivering, he had to console them. His palm began to tread from her shoulder, making it's way up her neck and then stopping a few inches away from her chin. His fingers began to caress the creamy texture of her cheek, making her lips tingle even more. He couldn't wait any longer, he just had to stop them. His mouth dove into hers a moment later, suckling away at its ambrosia ever so slightly. The feel of his lips, she never knew how much she could miss them so. So sweet, so tender, this was a treasure that neither would trade in for all the money in the world and so much more. This was their moment, this is where they could truly feel alive.

It felt like an eternity until the two lips finally parted, each of them still fresh with the honey of the other. The street fighter and the samurai girl once again sat there, their arms folded against one another and their cheeks perfectly sliding against each other. This was a feeling neither could live without, this the feeling of being alive, the feeling of love.

"Shizuma," Ryoko finally spoke. "Do you promise?"

"Promise?"

"That you will stop fighting?"

"I..."

"Before you answer, be certain that you're willing to keep your word."

"I... I promise, Ryoko," Shizuma answered. "I promise that I will stop fighting for the baby's sake, and yours as well."

"Thank you, Shizuma," Ryoko smiled, planting her lips on his once more to seal the deal.

'There's no reason to fight anymore,' Shizuma thought to himself, 'with her in my arms, I can truly feel alive.'

  
  


Author's Note: Well, pretty touching, wasn't it? This fic's almost done people, sorry for the long wait, I promise you readers that I won't have you guys wait another month for the next chapter. That's right, I'll give you my word that I will update once again within a week. Well, go ahead and leave me a review, and as usual, no flames or anything like that. So do you guys think Shizuma will keep his word this time, we'll find out in the next chapter. Until then, later people!


	11. The Price of Change

Author's Note: Man has it been a while since I last wrote this! Well, a promise is a promise, and I've kept my word, I'm gonna finish this fic! The final volume of the Real Bout manga came out recently and that gave me the inspiration I needed to finally work on this fic again. Luckily the ending for the manga was a lot better than the anime's, I won't say much else because I don't want to spoil the ending for those who haven't read the last volume yet. Well enough idle chatter, I know you've all been waiting for this, so now, I present the latest chapter of "Between Love and Lust."

Chapter 10: The Price of Change

Three months had passed since Shizuma had swore to Ryoko that he would stop fighting. Throughout the three months, Shizuma had kept his word, not once did he strike his fist or foot against another individual, not once did he provoke anyone into a battle, and not once did he even glare at another person. Yes it was hard at first for Shizuma to keep his word, but every time he even thought about punching a guy's lights out, he would think about how Ryoko would leave him if he was to break his promise. Ryoko had meant the world to him at this point in his life, not just because she was carrying their child, but because he loved her for who she was.

No longer able to pursue his career in street-fighting, Shizuma fell back on his second passion, music. Shizuma decided to take a job at the Daimon Outlet Mall playing the keyboard so that he could support Ryoko and their child, though the pay was a lot less than what he was earning when he was still going to Ikeburo to fight. Eight-hundred yen an hour, yeah, it was definitely minimum wage, but it was an honest way of earning money for his child.

"Mr. Shizuma!" a loud, yet whiny voice echoed from the other side of the hallway.

"Hey Daisaku," Shizuma waved, greeting his girlfriend's biggest fan and follower.

"Miss Ryoko wanted me to ask you if you could pick up her homework from Geometry today," Daisaku said, immediately getting down to business, "I'm afraid her morning sickness is pretty bad this morning."

"Is she all right?!" Shizuma quickly jumped. "Just how bad is it?!"

Shizuma had gotten pretty edgy whenever it came to Ryoko these last few months, he was always paranoid about her getting hurt or sick. It's true she was once one of the toughest K-Fighters in Daimon High School, but to Shizuma, she was as delicate and fragile as a piece of glass.

"Everything's all right, Mr. Shizuma," Daisaku said, trying to reassure the navy-haired ex-fighter, "she's just throwing up a bit more than usual. She said she'll still come to her later classes, but in the meantime, she just wants you to pick up her Geometry homework so she won't have to during lunch."

"Are you sure she's okay?!" Shizuma asked again, as paranoid as ever.

"See for yourself," another voice entered the vicinity.

"Ryoko?"

Turning around, Shizuma found the samurai girl putting on her best smile when in truth her stomach was still feeling queasy. Her belly had started to swell within the last few months, but it wasn't really apparent to the naked eye since Ryoko bought a larger uniform shirt. Her morning sickness had grown a bit worse these last few weeks, the tingling in her chest worsening, and now she sometimes had cravings for strange foods. None of these mattered to Shizuma, he still found her as beautiful as ever.

"Jeez Monkey, you're so paranoid nowadays," Ryoko sighed, giving her boyfriend a small pat on the head, "I've had worse you know."

"I'm just worried about you, ya know," Shizuma explained. "I don't think you should go into work today."

Shizuma wasn't the only one to get a job at the mall. For two months now, Ryoko had been working as a cashier at the Cat-Like Fish restaurant, and like Shizuma's job, it also paid minimum wage. The manager asked her to do the "Magical Waitress Oyster Lulu Show" when she first applied, but of course, Ryoko refused. It's true she never liked doing the show in the first place, but she also thought that it probably wouldn't be a pretty sight having a pregnant teen with her belly starting to grow out parading around in that skimpy costume.

"Since when did you become such a worrier, Shizuma?" Ryoko groaned. "What happened to that Red Monkey who always spat out insults and didn't give a damn about anything? Trust me, I'm..."

Another grumble had fallen upon Ryoko's stomach, the queasiness was beginning to worsen, the furnace within her abdomen starting to boil once more causing her to hunch forward. Her throat and cheeks were starting to get the same feeling now, maybe it wasn't a good idea to go to school yet.

"Ryoko, are you...?"

"...we'll talk later," Ryoko said, forcing herself to smile once more.

Before anyone else could say another word, Ryoko's back was already facing them and her figure was growing smaller in their vision. It definitely wasn't a good idea for Ryoko to go to school yet.

"Hey Ryoko, wait up!" Shizuma called, getting ready to chase after her.

"She'll be fine," another voice assured Shizuma, the person's hand falling upon his shoulder.

"You sure, Hitomi?" Shizuma asked.

"Like Ryoko said, 'when did you become such a worrier,' Mr. Shizuma?" Hitomi repeated, giving her usual smile.

"...yeah, I guess you're right," his legs straightening once more and his arms falling back to his side. "Hey Daisaku, Hitomi, you guys got a minute?"

"Sure, what is it, Mr. Shizuma?" Daisaku answered.

"When Ryoko's done with her...you know, can you tell her to meet me at the observational point," he said, his voice as calm and resolute as ever, "there's something I want to ask her. I'd appreciate it if you two can give her this message."

"Of course, it'll be a pleasure!" Daisaku jumped.

"Mr. Shizuma, are you going to ask Ryoko what I think you're going to ask?" Hitomi asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

"...yeah," he replied with a slight bob of his head. "Well, I'll see you guys later."

"Huh? What's he going to ask? Miss Hitomi, what's going on? What's Mr. Shizuma going to ask Miss Ryoko?"

The voices of his friends grew deafer and deafer with each step he took. His eyes were locked on the floor, not that there was particularly interesting about it, it's just that his mind was locked in on his thoughts. Shizuma had known Ryoko for quite some time now, about three years now, but most of those three years were spent bickering or fighting each other. As sick as it sounds, Shizuma did enjoy those times, he enjoyed teasing the "Big Woman," he was entertained by the bruises and cuts her wooden sword left on his skin. How could anyone enjoy something like that, apparently Shizuma did as he cherished every moment he spent with the samurai girl, but what he cherished the most was the last three months he spent with her in peace. No bickering, no fighting, just talking, holding hands, and the pressing of lips; who would have thought the invincible Shizuma Kusanagi was such a sucker to romance. It was obvious he enjoyed being with her, in the past and in the present, and hopefully in the future.

"Could it be too soon to ask her?" Shizuma asked himself as he continued down the path to the meeting point.

His hand began to creep into his pocket now, reaching for small cube device that was sitting in the pocket's edge. It was a small black box, the lower half entirely shaped like a box while the upper half had been smoothened out like a hill. He opened the small box after, finding inside a gold round device, it's center hallowed out and a translucent rock sitting on the top. It was as engagement ring that sent in the center of the tiny box, but to Shizuma, it was more than just an engagement ring, it was perhaps a seal to his, and her, future. It's true that Shizuma had been saving his paycheck for the baby, but there were also people who would occasionally tip Shizuma for the music he was playing. Shizuma secretly kept this money for himself, kept it so he could buy that 500,000 yen engagement ring that he always saw at the jewelry store across from where he worked. Of course, it just wasn't through tips alone that allowed Shizuma to buy the ring, his sister, Tomoe, had also gotten a bonus a few months ago, she was more than willing to help her brother out after hearing how he got Ryoko pregnant.

"You enjoy spending time with her, don't you?" Shizuma recalled a conversation he had with his sister three months ago.

"Yeah I do," Shizuma answered. "It's true that we often got into fights and arguments about little things in the past, but the truth is, I relished in all of it. I didn't relish in the pain I may have caused, I just enjoyed the fact that I was able to spend time with her. Every couple has their own unique way of saying they care for each other, you know, and I think that when we fought all those times back then, I think that was how we conveyed our feelings toward one another. But to tell you the truth, back then I couldn't decipher what each of those blows said and what each of those strikes meant until now. Fighting was the only way I knew how to express myself, until that incident that happened a few weeks ago, after that I... Oh never mind, I'm sure I'm not making any sense."

"No, I understand what you're saying, Shizuma," Tomoe answered. "You love her deeply, I can see that, but you're not exactly sure how to express it, is that right?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much it," Shizuma said as he took a seat at the table. "Who would've thought I'd be such a fool?"

"You're not a fool, Shizuma," Tomoe assured him, "love isn't something that's easy to convey. Words, actions, often times these aren't enough to convey the feelings we have for a person."

"I told Ryoko how I feel, but I don't think it's enough," Shizuma admitted. "I know I can express my heart to her more if I were to do something else, but I'm not sure what. I mean, I can just tell her I want to spend the rest of my life with her and our kid and always be there for them, but... It's just not enough!" Shizuma spat, his fist banging against the table. "Words just aren't gonna do it, just how am I supposed to..."

"Shizuma, did you just say you wanted to spend the rest of your life with her?" Tomoe asked.

"Huh? Yeah, of course, but I'm not sure..."

"Do you truly mean that?"

"Of course I do, you know if I don't say things I don't mean them."

"Here, get the girl something nice for her finger then," Tomoe said, tossing several thousand yen bills onto the table.

"Something for her finger, what do you mean, sis?" Shizuma questioned, not understanding the meaning of her words.

"I'll give you a hint, little brother, it's small round device that has a rock on it and costs a lot of money," Tomoe hinted as she took a beer out of the fridge.

"'Round device that has a rock on it,' huh, I don't get it," Shizuma scratched his head as confused as ever.

"You really are clueless sometimes, you know," Tomoe sighed, taking a sip of her beer after.

"Would this be enough to tell her how I feel?" Shizuma asked himself again for the thousandth time in the presence.

It seemed like an eternity as Shizuma sat at the bench in the observational area, his eyes constantly locked in the sparkles that lay on the ring's diamond. Many students had passed by the navy-haired street fighter, and for once, ignored him as they passed by. Shizuma was constantly in need of attention during his K-Fight career, heck, he was still the center of it when he stopped fighting, always trying to impress the crowd now with his keyboard. Attention was the last thing he wanted now, he didn't want the other students to see him nervous or fumbling over words.

Words, something Shizuma was not good at conveying when it came to Ryoko. This was especially not an exception, just a word from Ryoko could alter their future forever. Many scenarios were painted in Shizuma's head, some with Ryoko in his life, others without. He knew that she loved him, but what he didn't know was how much. Would she love him enough to spend the rest of her life with him, or was it only enough to spend with him until high school ended? Whatever the answer was, Shizuma had to know.

A shadow began to cast over Shizuma now, the person standing right in front of him. The street fighter was still locked in his thoughts though, he was totally unaware of the person's presence. Predictions of the future continued to flash through his mind, questions such as "how does she truly feel about me?" and "is she willing to spend the rest of her life with me?" were constantly asked, but all of those thoughts were put to an end with the person's voice.

"Shizuma?"

Looking up, Shizuma had found a pair of lavender pupils greeting him. His heart immediately began to strike at his rib cage the moment his eyes met with her, his throat suddenly becoming parched, and his limbs growing weak. The smell of her red hair added to the spell she had cast on him, leaving his breath short.

'Now's not the time to sit there like an idiot,' Shizuma thought to himself. 'Say something before she gets impatient and leaves.'

"Hey Ryoko," were the only words he can muster at the moment, "you got a second?"

"Sure," she answered.

"We've known each other for how long now?" Shizuma asked as he got out of his seat, walking toward the ledge of the observational area.

"Three years about," Ryoko answered, taking the spot beside him. "I remember how we met, I was fighting some punks in the bad part of town when you suddenly came and tried to save me, only to fall to the floor because you were hungry," she let out a small chuckle. "Later that day though, you really did save me and Hitomi, you knocked a gang member out and helped me out with the rest of his gang. It was a shock though when you came to school the next day for the martial arts tournament. You were always the center of attention ever since you came here," Ryoko recalled, "I never liked that to be honest. To tell you the truth, I didn't want you to be in everyone else's attention, I just wanted you to be in mine. It's selfish of me, isn't it?"

"No, I don't think so," Shizuma answered, "in fact, I wouldn't mind having it that way."

"Shizuma..., do you really mean that?" Ryoko asked, her breath as short as his.

"Yeah, I do."

This was quite a shock for Ryoko, Shizuma not minding to just be her center of attention. For as long as she knew him, Shizuma always had to be in everyone's eyes, he always had to be the attraction of a crowd. She knew he loved the attention, he couldn't get enough of it, but knowing that he only wants hers, it brought much relief to Ryoko's heart.

"Thanks Shizuma," Ryoko smiled, a small tear falling down her cheek, "that really means a lot to me. Do you remember our first K-Fight?" Ryoko recalled, turning toward the school.

"Yeah, I remember," Shizuma nodded, "it was at the park during Spring Break three years ago. You were doing some Kendo practice and Daisaku and I saw you. I asked you if you wanted to do a little practice match, and well, it just went on from there. Come to think of it, we haven't really gotten into K-Fights with each other in the past."

"Yeah, we mostly just got into arguments over tiny things," Ryoko remembered, "things like you calling me names, who was right or wrong over questions, or me getting the last custard pastry at the cafeteria."

"Hey, that pastry was mine and you know it!" Shizuma retorted.

"And knowing that made it even sweeter," Ryoko teased.

The two broke into a small fit of laughter after, something the two never really did until lately. After a few moments, the two began to settle down, their sites once again returning to the school.

"What happened between us these last three months," Shizuma began to recall again, "they meant a lot to me, more than any fight can ever pay me, and more than you can ever imagine."

"Shizuma..."

Again Shizuma shocked her; even Ryoko never knew Shizuma could be such a romantic. Her heart was racing as fast as a hummingbird's wings now and her cheeks as red as roses. She never felt so uneasy in her life, but at the same time, she never felt so happy.

'Could this be a dream?' Ryoko thought to herself.

"Ryoko, there's something I'd like to ask you," Shizuma said, reaching for his pocket, "something that means a lot to me, and I hope that it also means a lot to you too. Before I ask you, there's something I'd like you to know. What I'm about to ask you, I'm doing it because I care that much about you, it wouldn't have mattered if you were carrying my child or not. And so Ryoko, I'd like to ask you," his knee falling to the floor, taking her hand onto his, "will you marry me?"

Her heart was practically jump out of her rib cage now, her throat so dry, and her entire brow covered in sweat. Ryoko's legs began to quiver suddenly, her consciousness starting to feel like it was slowly peeling away from her. Time was practically frozen now for the samurai girl, so many thoughts and emotions were swirling inside her now.

'Oh my God, this has got to be a dream!' Ryoko screamed inside. 'Please, don't let this be a dream, and if it is, don't wake me up!'

It wasn't a dream, no matter how many times Ryoko bit her inner cheek, she still felt the pain and the image of Shizuma kneeling before her with his hand in hers never vanished. Her eyes were beginning to water now, but her lips were as wide as ever. No words could escape Ryoko's mouth at the moment, but she knew one thing, the answer to his question. The will to say those words was blocked out by her swirling emotions and thoughts, but one thing was for sure, Ryoko knew the answer long before he asked the question.

"Shizuma,...I..."

"Nagi!" a voice suddenly erupted in the area. "Nagi!"

The two immediately recognized the voice, it was Shizuma's number one fan, Sarah. Grumbling, Shizuma returned to his feet, his day practically ruined now. Ryoko definitely wasn't in the best mood now that Sarah was here, she didn't even give her a chance to answer Shizuma's proposal. The two were practically glaring at Sarah as she approached them, but unfortunately, Sarah was blinded by her reluctance to see Shizuma again to notice.

"Nagi, it's been so long, where have you been, what have you been up to?"

Unfortunately for Sarah, Shizuma had not informed her of his retirement from fighting, much less talk to her. Everyday for the last three months she would go to Ikeburo or warehouse twenty-six at the docks to see if her Nagi was fighting. She would try to call his house every now and then, but Shizuma would never pick up the phone or Tomoe would tell her that Shizuma had gone out for the day. She couldn't go to Daimon High much either, Sarah's parents had insisted that she spend more time with her school work since she was failing practically every subject. Finally though, her grades had gone up and she could risk ditching one day of class.

"Sarah, you didn't exactly choose the right time to visit me," Shizuma said, trying his best to control his temper.

"You can say that again," Ryoko grumbled.

"Huh? I don't get it, did something go on between you again?" Sarah asked, obviously clueless over the situation.

"This where he at?" another voice began to enter vicinity.

Another familiar face had arrived on the scene, it was one Shizuma had only seen twice. Mussy hair, a scar on his temple that stretched from ear-to-ear, and muscles and veins that practically bulged on every inch of his body, Shizuma immediately knew who this man was.

"Hiroyuki Watanabe," Shizuma immediately recognized the man.

"Huh?" Ryoko said puzzled.

"The guy who...hired me to fight at the docks three months ago," Shizuma explained.

"Nice goin', kid," Watanabe said, patting Sarah's head for a mere second, "you found him."

"What's this all about?" Shizuma asked.

"Let me blunt, kid," Watanabe then focused his attention on Shizuma, "you haven't shown up at the docks for three months."

"Why's that a big deal," Shizuma shrugged, "I only fought at your place once."

"You wanna know why it's a big deal, kid, I'll tell ya," Watanabe spoke as he pulled a cigarette from his pocket. "Ever since you showed up at my place three months ago, more fighters were comin' in lookin' to pick a fight with you. Your reputation is better than you think kid, people only thought you were a legend 'til you showed up in my docks. Anyway, even though more fighters came, even more left the docks since you weren't showin' up these past few months; that's bad business for me, kid. So what I'm askin' you is if you would come back to the docks?"

"I'd love to do that," Shizuma answered.

"What?!" Ryoko fumed in the middle of her shock at her boyfriend's answer.

"...or so I'd like to say," Shizuma continued, causing Ryoko to breath a sigh of relief, "but you see the thing is that I've retired from the street-fighting business. 'Fraid you're gonna have to find someone else for the crowd."

"Nagi, why?" Sarah asked, surprised at Shizuma's answer.

"I have my reasons, Sarah," Shizuma explained.

"I see...," Watanabe said, his voice as low as ever, "I thought this would be the case, that's why I'm bringing the fight to you."

Watanabe's fingers snapped for a mere second, the entire area behind him filling up with thugs and other lowlifes. Some were more muscular than others, others more scarred or foul-smelling. Chains were in the hands of some, more had knives, and a few had a lead pipe in their hands or a baseball bat. Shizuma had recognized some of these fighters, they were opponents of his when he was last at the docks three months ago.

"You gotta be kidding me," Shizuma said as he glanced at the possibly infinite number of opponents.

"Wait a second, you never told me you would do this!" Sarah yelled at Watanabe. "You said you were just going to ask him to come back."

"I lied," Watanabe responded.

"Just wait a second here!" Ryoko yelled at the top of her lungs. "Watanabe, right? What's the point of all of this, why'd you bring all this guys here in the first place? Don't you get it, Shizuma's not interesting in fighting anymore, so...!"

"Shut up, girl!" Watanabe retorted. "I promised each of these guys that they would each get a piece of the invincible Shizuma Kusanagi, and I'm a man of my word."

"Ryoko, get back!" Shizuma spat, holding his arm before her.

"No, I'm fighting too!" Ryoko retorted.

"No, you can't!" Shizuma repeated, his words as serious as ever. "Not in your condition, your life isn't the only one at stake anymore, remember?"

"But I...," she tried convincing him once more, only to give up after realizing the truth behind Shizuma's words. "Dammit!" were the only words she could say after her defeat.

Before any other words could be said, Shizuma suddenly felt a force pushing against his cheek, forcing his head to spin to the east, his body following in the same manner before he found his hip striking against the ground. There was no time for Shizuma to lie down and recover from the pain of the strike because the next thing he knew there was a piece of lumber falling before his eyes. Without wasting another second, Shizuma forced all of his weight into his side, forcing his body to roll to the side. Unfortunately, more weapons fell upon his path as he moved away from the initial strike, some of the weapons finding their marks on Shizuma's side.

"Argh!" Shizuma couldn't help but scream upon impact.

"Shizuma!" Ryoko screamed.

"Nagi!" Sarah's cry followed.

"Bastards wanna play dirty huh?" Shizuma glared as he took the blunt of more attacks. "Fine, Guren Senpuu!"

Several of Shizuma's opponents fell back afterward, falling before the rising spin kick which returned Shizuma to his feet. More enemies, however, rushed in after Shizuma's attacks, their weapons ready to strike. The first thing that came into Shizuma's sights was a knife that one thug had lunged forward. Somehow Shizuma had found room within the fight to dodge the stab, and even more lucky, he found a mere second's time to grab his attacker's wrist and toss him into some of his other comrades. Unfortunately his next opponent was not patient enough to wait for Shizuma to turn around, striking him the back with a kick. Falling forward, Shizuma couldn't help but fall victim to another one of his attacker's strikes, this one an uppercut. The strike was not very strong luckily as Shizuma was able to recover from it quickly.

"Honoo no Tora!" Shizuma cried, unleashing another one of his trademark attacks upon another volley of enemies.

The flames had easily grazed down several thugs, but unfortunately for Shizuma, it looked like even more thugs had taken their place the moment they had gone down. Readying his fists again, Shizuma found himself surrounded once more, this time all of his opponents standing still. Nothing but enemies were all Shizuma could see, no matter where he turned. Something was definitely up, all of them weren't doing anything, just readying their weapons or their fists. Shizuma could already feel his heart already beating rapidly, his lungs taking in more air than usual, and his entire body already drenched with his own sweat. Could this really be the end of Shizuma Kusanagi, the once invincible K-Fighter?

"Mr. Shizuma, here!"

It was a voice Shizuma knew well, it was Daisaku. Looking into the air for a moment, Shizuma found a device falling in his direction, one he hadn't used in the longest time. A pair of nunchaku, the only weapon Shizuma had used in a K-Fight, and only used it once for that matter. It normally wasn't Shizuma's style to use weapons, he thought it gave himself an overwhelming advantage over his opponents, but in this case, it was obvious that Shizuma was the one being outclassed.

The moment the weapon had fallen into Shizuma's hands, one of his opponents had sprung forward, a lead pipe in his hands that was now swinging for Shizuma's skull. Swinging the flail-like device to his opponent, Shizuma's weapon had wrapped around the pipe, bringing his attacker to a stop. With a pull of his arm, Shizuma tugged his attacker forward, delivering a backhand strike to him in the same second. More attackers jumped in now, but it appeared Shizuma had the advantage now with his weapon. With a quick spin of his body, Shizuma forced half of his opponents' attacks on the thug he had caught earlier, and in the last part of his spin, Shizuma kicked the thug off his weapon, knocking the other enemies away. The next half of his opponents' attacks followed after. With his weapon now free, Shizuma spun his weapon forward and to the side, swinging it wherever he saw the whites of someone's eyes. Finally it looked like the number of opponents were beginning to diminish, but they were still as far as the eye could see from Shizuma's perspective.

'These guys just don't let up, do they?' Shizuma thought to himself.

"Daisaku, get me my wooden sword," Shizuma overheard Ryoko's voice from outside the fight.

"What, but Miss Ryoko..."

"Don't give me the details, Shizuma needs help and now!" Ryoko yelled, grabbing Daisaku by the collar of his shirt.

Ryoko didn't forget about what Shizuma had just said a few minutes ago, but unfortunately her emotions were blinding her from the importance of Shizuma's words. She couldn't stand to watch Shizuma get hurt any longer, even if he was given a bigger chance of winning now. Even with his nunchaku, Ryoko still knew that Shizuma wasn't a match for this number of experienced opponents. He needed help, and quickly because it looked like Shizuma was having difficulty once again.

"Miss Ryoko, please calm down," Daisaku tried to plead once more.

"How can I calm down?!" Ryoko's grip on Daisaku's collar tightened. "Shizuma needs help and..."

"Allow me," a third voice suddenly entered the two's ears.

"You?" Ryoko and Daisaku said in unison upon seeing the third voice's face.

Shizuma had found himself lost in Ryoko and Daisaku's argument just before the third voice entered their conversation. Shizuma was in worse condition than he thought in this short period of time. His throat felt so dry now, every time he took in a breath it felt like sandpaper was being rubbed against his trachea, his entire body was drenched with sweat, part of his torso and areas of his arms and legs were also mixed with blood, his own and some of his enemies. His entire body just seemed to weigh several tons now, it was a challenge to even stand now. Regardless of how he felt, Shizuma had to continue fighting, regardless of his chance of coming out victorious being slim to nil.

Before Shizuma knew it, another assailant had lunged forward, this one with a baseball bat in his hands. By the time Shizuma had found this attacker within his sights, he knew that in his current condition there was no way for him to dodge. Instead, Shizuma brought his arm toward his face and shut his eyes preparing for the worst. The blow never came though, instead he heard the sound of wood striking against bone and a cry of pain from his attacker. Peeling away the darkness from his eyes slowly, Shizuma found another figure standing before him; long raven black hair, a red bandana on their brow, a pink ribbon tied around the back of their white kimono, a red hamaka to go around their legs, and annoying laugh that everyone in Daimon High School knew too well.

"Aha ha ha ha, this isn't like you, Mr. Kusanagi," the current K-Fight champion smiled, "I would think thugs like these would be no problem for you."

"Azumi Kiribyashi, what're you doing here, rich girl?" Shizuma asked.

"I couldn't help but walk in on your little fight," Azumi explained, "it's bad enough these people just come to our school to pick a fight with you, but it's the fact that they're making you break your word to Miss Mitsurugi that really upsets me. This is out of respect I have for the previous K-Fight Champion, I believe I owe her this favor after she showed me numerous times in the past that my skills needed improvement."

"Well thanks, I guess."

"Enough, here they come!" Azumi warned.

Azumi was the first one to attack this time, swinging her naginata above her head in a helicopter like fashion before bringing down its wooden blade onto a single thug's skull. More thugs ran toward Azumi now, striking from all directions. Right, left, up, and behind, Azumi had swung in each of these directions, striking at least one opponent in each one, all of them falling before the pole or bladed part of her weapon. Shizuma had returned to the fight as well at this time, using his nunchaku to wrap around an enemy's limb or weapon, then pulling them inward to deliver them a punch or kick. Again the numbers of the attacks began to diminish, but many still remained.

"The kid's legend doesn't even come close to his real self," Watanabe thought to himself as he watched the fight from the sidelines. "Still, I can tell something's holding him back from going all out, but what?" he asked, taking a breath from his cigarette. "Hm, that's it!" he realized the moment he saw a certain figure on the other side of the sidelines.

"Huh?"

Ryoko knew something was wrong at this point, it was an intuition she had picked up from her previous K-Fight experiences. It didn't have something to do with Shizuma though, it felt as if Ryoko herself was in danger. Looking into the fight, Ryoko couldn't see any thugs coming after her, but she definitely knew something was wrong. A small hole opened up in the fight that was before her eyes, and at the other side of that hold, Ryoko could see Watanabe standing there, a device in his hand that was pointed at Ryoko. Ryoko couldn't make it out at first, but the moment she saw Watanabe's finger beginning to move, she knew what it was; it was a gun! Before she could react, a loud bang had filled the area, but for some reason, Ryoko didn't feel the impact of the shot, nor did she feel her blood flowing down her body. A second later, Ryoko realized that she had blinked the moment Watanabe had pulled the trigger, and in front of her stood Azumi Kiribyashi, arms opened and legs spread, acting as a shield for her. Another bang fell upon the area, Ryoko's former rival staggering shortly after as a spurt of crimson burst from her shoulder. A third blast, this one causing Azumi to hunch forward and causing her to cough up a ruby-colored fluid. A final blast had fallen upon the K-Fight Champion, this one knocking the mighty Azumi Kiribyashi to the floor. Silence had fallen upon the entire area after, the fighting had come to a standstill as smoke emitted from the barrel of Watanabe's pistol.

"A...Azumi Kiribyashi-senpai...!" Ryoko couldn't help but gasp.

"O...oh my god!" were the only words Daisaku could fathom.

The way Azumi lay before her feet and the expression on her face, it was nothing she had ever showed Ryoko in any of their K-Fights. Pain, it was the sign of pain and discomfort that she wore. For once her beautiful face and form was covered in blood. Craters in her skin were etched in her shoulders, one on her left leg, and one in her stomach. Blood was escaping between the gaps of Azumi's teeth, her eyes shut as tight as ever. Her entire body was trembling, for once she could not fake a smile upon her injuries.

"Hey Princess, you all right?!" Shizuma quickly rushed to her aid. "Hey, is anyone there?!" Shizuma yelled, trying to snap her out of unconsciousness. "Hey!"

"...it's beautiful...isn't it...?" Azumi said weakly.

"What?" Ryoko said puzzled.

"...the gift of life...," Azumi answered the best she could, her eyes barely open. "What you two have...it really is...a beautiful...thing..."

Her hand began to rise now, her arm trembling and weak. Somehow she managed to find Ryoko's, taking it into hers for a second before placing it into Shizuma's. Her hand lay upon theirs for a few seconds before slowly pulling away. The two looked at their hands which rested upon each other after, taking a few seconds to observe before their attention returned to their injured senpai. Her lips began to move once more, slowly stretching in their usual manner. It was the best smile Azumi could put on for the moment, the best smile should could hopefully leave this world with.

"Azumi Kiribyashi-senpai...," Ryoko called again, her eyes filled with tears. "Senpai...?" her voice louder than before.

"Princess...? Rich girl...?" Shizuma tried calling once again.

"SENPAI!!!!!!"Ryoko screamed.

"Looks like my aim was off a bit," a sudden clicking noise fell upon Shizuma and Ryoko's ears at that moment.

"Why...," Shizuma asked, his teeth practically grinding into each other, "she had nothing to do with us, so why? WHY THE HELL DID YOU HAVE TO GET HER INVOLVED?!?!?!?!" Shizuma screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Your girlfriend or this bitch?" Watanabe spat at the feet of Azumi. "Face it kid, you definitely got potential, the only thing that's holding you back is this chick and your friends. I knew it when I first saw you kid, you can definitely become the greatest fighter in the world, the greatest champion history could ever know."

"I don't care about any of that," the grip around Shizuma's fists tightened, "none of that means anything compared to being the champion of someone's heart."

"What, so you're willing to sacrifice all that glory for some girl? Women come and go my friend, a thing such as love is only an illusion. Lust is the only thing that exists it this world, it's what drives us into the arms of another. What causes us to fall for another's looks, their personality, it's not love, it's lust. It's because we want them for what they have, that's what really drives us to another."

"It may be the drive, but it's love that holds a couple together," Shizuma explained, trying his best to hold back his tears. "When you get to know another's feelings, their faults, their lives, their selves, when you want to share these things with them, that's what love is, that's what keeps people together. What I feel for Ryoko, it's not lust, it's love, something a selfish bastard like you would never know!" Shizuma seethed.

"It's a pity, kid," Watanabe said, taking another breath from his cigarette, "seems like a waste to kill you and your woman."

"No!"

The next thing anybody knew, Sarah had jumped in, trying to push Watanabe's pistol away from her Nagi and Ryoko. Daisaku had also joined in the struggle now, doing their best to keep harm out of their idols' way. Unfortunately the two were easily pushed away by Watanabe's superior strength, but unfortunately for Watanabe, Sarah and Daisaku were only acting as a distraction so Shizuma could attack.

"Akai Kiba!"

Fists of fire struck against Watanabe's rib cage now, each punch searing his insides. Just the burn from the attack was enough to make Watanabe drop his gun, but unfortunately for him, Shizuma's attack had now stopped there.

"Guren Senpuu!" Shizuma delivered his trademark jump kick now, striking Watanabe's chin. "Honoo No Tora!" Shizuma finished with a final punch, causing Watanabe to suddenly burst into flames.

The force of Shizuma's final strike forced Watanabe several feet away, his charred form falling before the feet of his companions. The rest of the fighters stood in shock as they saw their boss's entire body burned; yes he was still alive, but barely, but just the sight of this made each of the thugs tremble with fear. All of them were definitely ready to run now, they definitely knew Shizuma was more than a match for each of them now.

"What's going on here?!" Principal Todo's voice suddenly fell upon the area now.

"Daimon Police Department, freeze!" a group of several police officers suddenly arrived as well.

"Ryoko are you and Mr. Shizuma okay?" Hitomi suddenly appeared afterward. "Oh my god, Azumi Kiribyashi-senpai!"

"She's still breathing," Ryoko noticed, bringing her ear to her lips, "Hitomi, quick, call an ambulance."

"Right!"

The entire observation point was filled with sirens shortly after. The road next to it filled with police squad cars and ambulances. Azumi was the first to be taken into an ambulance, she had to be hooked up to several emergency care machines as she was carried out. Several thugs, including Watanabe, were also carried out by ambulances, though their wounds were unfortunately less severe than Azumi's. Each of the thugs were arrested for attempted murder and vandalism, there was no way any of them were getting of prison any time soon. Watanabe, however, was also charged with illegal gambling and being the head of the incident, he would be given a life sentence for his crimes.

As all of this was going on, Shizuma and Ryoko and found themselves sitting in one of the police vans, Ryoko given a blanket and a cup of tea, while Shizuma was bandaged by the medical crew. The day was definitely not easy for either of them; what was supposed to be the best day of their lives ended up being the worst.

"Are you two okay?" Hitomi asked, taking the seat next to Ryoko.

"Yeah, we're fine, Hitomi," Ryoko answered. "I heard from Daisaku that he told you to call the police the moment he walked in on the fight."

"Yeah, that's right," Hitomi nodded, "I'm afraid I didn't call them fast enough though."

"Either way, you did great, Hitomi," Shizuma complimented.

"Yeah, those punks would've gotten away if you didn't call like I asked," Daisaku suddenly appeared.

"You did great too, Daisaku," Shizuma complimented after. "Thanks to you and Sarah, I was able to take down Watanabe."

"It was nothing," Daisaku bragged after, a big smile stretched across his face.

"Um, Nagi...," Sarah followed after, appearing behind Daisaku, "I'm sorry, it's because of me that this whole thing happened."

"No Sarah, it was my fault," Shizuma assured, "I shouldn't have jumped at the opportunity to fight at the docks three months ago. You tried to stop me back then, but being as hard-headed as I was, I still went. But if I owe anyone an apology, it's to you, Ryoko," Shizuma turned to his girlfriend after.

"To me?" Ryoko said puzzled.

"I'm afraid I broke my promise again today," Shizuma explained, "and I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Mountain Monkey," she assured him, giving a slight nudge to his ribs, "it's okay, I'll let you off this time. You know, I haven't answered your proposal yet," Ryoko changed the subject.

"Oh yeah, that's right," Shizuma recalled, "I've been too caught up on everything else today that..."

"I'll give you your answer later," Ryoko interrupted.

"What?!" everyone in the van exclaimed.

"Why Ryoko?! Oh jeez, it's 'cause of what happened today, isn't it?" Shizuma groaned. "Now you're gonna have second thoughts because..."

"Actually, that's not it...," Ryoko said, pointing to a certain purple-haired aunt who was running this way.

"Oh my gosh, Ryoko, are you okay?!" Madoka quickly took her niece into her arms. "I was so worried after hearing about what happened that I got out of work the moment I got the news and... This is your doing again, isn't it?!" her eyes quickly glared at a certain navy-haired street fighter.

"What, me, no it wasn't... You're still gonna chase after me regardless of what I say, aren't you?" Shizuma asked. "I guess I'll just do my usual small head start and...," Shizuma said, starting to slowly creep away.

"Hold it right there you son of a bitch!" Madoka yelled.

"Yup, definitely later!" Shizuma yelped before bursting into a sprint.

"I SWEAR TO GOD I'M GONNA KILL YOU!!!!!!" Madoka screamed, doing her best to catch up with the navy-haired street fighter.

"Aunt Madoka, can you ever give him a break?" Ryoko sighed.

"Um, Ryoko," Sarah addressed her after.

"Yeah?"

"What is your answer to Nagi's proposal?" Sarah asked. "I had no idea you two were going out and...well..."

"Yeah Miss Ryoko, what is your answer to Mr. Shizuma's proposal?" Daisaku was the next to jump the question.

"What is it Ryoko, please tell us?" Hitomi practically jumped before her best friends.

"Woah, hold on a second," Ryoko said, trying to push all of her friends away, "just because I didn't tell Shizuma doesn't mean I'll tell any of you."

"What, why not? C'mon Miss Ryoko," Daisaku begged, now on his knees. "I'll do anything, please, just tell me now!"

"Nope, sorry," Ryoko shook her head, "I'm not telling anyone before I tell Shizuma."

"Well can you at least tell us when you'll answer his proposal?" Sarah asked.

"Later," Ryoko answered simply as she made her way out of the van.

"When later?" Hitomi called as Ryoko began to make her way out of the school. "Later today, later this week, when Ryoko?"

"Later," Ryoko responded again as she disappeared into the sunset.

Author's Note: Whoa, that was a pretty tough chapter for me to write, tough because it's been a while since I last wrote this fic, and because I had a tough time on how Ryoko would answer Shizuma's proposal. As for Ryoko and Shizuma met, I'm not sure how it was supposed to be in the anime, so I used the manga version, along with some of the events that happened between the two in it. The nunchaku was also something that was also only in the manga, in the final volume actually. Well, one chapter left for this story along with the epilogue, I'm sure you're all gonna be looking forward to the next chapter of this fic, it'll be Ryoko's answer to Shizuma's proposal. Oh, and if you're worried about Azumi, don't worry, she's not dead, she'll be back in the next chapter actually. Well if you'd like, please review, but no flames as usual please. Anyway, I'll try to post the last chapter up as soon as I can, I doubt I'll take another year to do so. Well that's it for now, hope you all enjoyed this new chapter, later people!


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